The Illegitimate Daughter
by cooopercrisp
Summary: For twenty years, Claire's been hiding a secret from her family: Haley might not be Phil's daughter. When that secret comes out, the Dunphy family starts to fall apart. It will take a lot of work for Claire to put her family back together.
1. The Wedding

**The Illegitimate Daughter: A Modern Family Fanfiction**

by: cooopercrisp

Chapter 01: The Wedding

* * *

"Cam, wanna read off those vows you wrote?" Sal asked, holding her pregnant belly and laughing as though she were drunk. Cam had a huge smile on his face as he took an index card from his jacket pocket.

The wedding had been moved at the last minute into a reception hall after firefighters warned them to evacuate the hilltop where they had originally planned to tie the knot. The hall was just large enough to fit Cam and Mitchell's families and friends. In the front row sat Cam's mother and his sister Pam; Jay, Gloria, and Manny; and Mitchell's brother-in-law Phil, sitting between his two daughters Haley and Alex, with Luke beside Alex.

There hadn't been enough room for the lavish decorations that Pepper Saltzman had arranged for the outside, but flowers still adorned the altar. Claire was standing beside Mitchell, smiling as her fiery-haired brother was finally marrying his long-time partner. Lily had insisted on standing beside Cam and in front of Cam's father Merle. Jay's dog Stella was standing at the altar, too, bearing the rings on a cushion wrapped around her body.

* * *

_"I spent the week before the wedding trying to write the perfect vows," Cam tells me. "Perfect vows for a perfect husband. I talked to my mom about it, and she said as long as it comes from the heart, whatever I have to say will be wonderful. Then Lily said 'You love Daddy. That's all that matters,' and that's when I knew what I wanted to say."_

* * *

Cam cleared his throat and began reading off his vows.

"Mitchell Vincent Pritchett," he said, "it has been an honor sharing these ten years with you." He choked up. "I can't believe it's even been that long, the time's just flown along so fast. From the day we met at that party, to the day we adopted our beautiful daughter Lily, and to the day we became engaged, those days and all the days in between have been my life's greatest adventure."

Claire reminisced upon the vows she and Phil had renewed only a few years ago. Having eloped against Jay's wishes, they hadn't had a formal ceremony or even a honeymoon. The entire marriage started off in such a hurry because of Claire's pregnancy with Haley. She bit her lip and continued to listen to Cam.

* * *

_"Yes," Claire explains, "I was a bit uncomfortable listening to Cam read his vows. But if you know what I went through with Phil…let's just say, you'd understand the source of my discomfort."_

"_Honey!" Phil calls from the front door. "Our reservation's at eight. We're going to be late!"_

_Claire sighs. "At least I can say I love him. That's more than a lot of wives can say about their husbands. I mean, just look at Mom and Dad. God forbid Phil and I end up like that…" Claire takes out her lipstick and puts it on shakily._

"_Honey!" Phil calls._

"_Coming!" Claire shouts back. She looks at me and smiles sadly before hustling off._

* * *

"From this day forward, 'til death do we part, I promise to remain by your side through all of our little bumps and bruises, to raise Lily together and to attend her graduation, her wedding, the birth of her first child."

"Gross!" Lily cried, and everyone in the room had a hearty laugh. Cam smiled sheepishly and blushed as he continued.

"Most of all," he concluded, "I promise to ever remain faithful to you. I know we've had our share of little crushes while we've been together, but I have never once strayed from you, and I promise that I never will."

* * *

_"Hearing those words from Cam," Mitchell says, "they sounded so similar to my own vows. So I was just standing there thinking about what I could say to sound original and like I had prepared them far in advance. Kind of hard to do when it's one of the most important days of your life and all your family and friends are watching." He rolls up his sleeves and smiled. "But they were lovely vows, and I'm so blessed."_

* * *

Mitchell beamed at his husband-to-be to hear those warm, unusually eloquent words. Claire, however, was fighting to hide her discomfort.

She had been sitting on a secret from the moment she had accepted Phil's proposal. She had miraculously lived with the guilt of this secret for two decades, but seeing her brother's wedding and hearing Cam's vows of faith was making her uneasy.

She turned to the crowd with a forced smile and made eye contact with Jay. He caught her eye as well and waved at her. She waved back, and he circled his pointer finger to indicate that she needed to turn back around. Claire nodded briskly and turned to face Mitchell again. Cam took the ring from Stella's back.

* * *

_"Dad was the only one who knew what I was going through up there," Claire explains. "I knew I had to talk to him as soon as I could, but I had to play the part of best person for my brother's sake. I'm just lucky I didn't pass out or throw up." She smiles sheepishly and wrings her hands._

* * *

"With this ring," Cam said, "I thee wed." Mitchell held out his hand, and Cam slipped the ring on Mitchell's finger. _Hmm, it's a little big on him_, Cam thought, but he shrugged it off.

"Cam, that was so beautiful," Sal said, tears coming to her eyes. "Think you can top that, Mitch?"

"I don't think so, but I'll try to match it at least," Mitchell said. Cam mouthed the words "I love you" to him, and Mitch silently replied "I love you, too."

"Cameron Scott Tucker," Mitchell said, "I didn't bring any notes with me because I knew exactly what I wanted to say to you. That, and I never use notes in the courtroom, so I'm kind of used to it." The crowd chuckled again. Cam smiled and bit his lip in excitement.

* * *

_"That was a lie," Mitchell says. "I had notes in my jacket pocket, but like I said, I would have sounded like a copycat. But then I remembered a story, and I knew it would be perfect for this moment. Yep," he adds, nodding proudly. "I was pretty good at improvising. Too bad the asses at Cornell couldn't see that when I auditioned for The Whistling Shrimp."_

* * *

"I didn't know right away that I was in love with you," Mitchell continued. "The moment I realized it was when I had ordered that spaghetti in an Italian restaurant on our one year anniversary. You remember, right? The spaghetti was ice cold, and I wasn't going to say anything, but you insisted on me speaking up. You finally took matters into your own hands and demanded the waiter to reheat my food.

"Well, when I knew how willing you were to stick up for me in that small, seemingly insignificant moment, I was in bliss. I cried the day we adopted Lily, and you know me. I never cry."

The crowd said "aww."

"Yes, it was an emotional day," Mitchell said. "And I can tell I'm rambling now, so I'll make it brief. Yes, I promise to always be there for you and always remain faithful to you, and I'm not just parroting you. I have never been more blessed than when I've been with you, and I would never give that up for the world. Our daughter may not be ours by blood, but we've raised her as if she was our own, and I could never be more proud of her or of you."

Claire resisted the urge to turn and face her father again, but her discomfort was now amplified. She scratched her head nervously. Mitchell turned to her and she beamed at him, but lost the smile when he turned away.

* * *

_Claire smiles at me nervously and shifts her eyes, but she can't think of anything to say._

* * *

Mitchell took the other ring from Stella's back.

"With this ring, I thee wed," Mitchell said. Cam held his hand daintily in front of him, and Mitchell attempted to put the ring on his finger. It wouldn't fit around it, however, and Mitchell grew concerned.

"I know what happened!" Cam said. "We need to swap rings." The crowd laughed as Mitchell took off the ring on his finger and gave it to Cam. It was a perfect fit. Cam put the ring Mitchell had on his finger.

"You guys are so cute together!" Sal said. "Wish my baby daddy and me had what you two have." The crowd laughed uncomfortably.

"Okay, what's next again?" she asked.

"The pronouncement," Cam muttered.

"Oh yeah. Um, by the power vested in me by…someone, and the state of California, you two guys are married now. Now plant a wet one on each other!"

* * *

_"Yes, it was a bit…unorthodox for Sal to marry us," Mitchell says._

"_But we were so touched when she offered, we had to say yes," Cam adds._

"_More like we were afraid she was drunk and hormonal and would kill us if we refused."_

"_You tell your story. I'll tell mine."_

* * *

Cam leaned forward and took Mitchell by surprise as he locked lips fiercely. They remained standing that way as the crowd cheered. Mitchell, afraid Cam was going to do something indecent, broke the kiss off and smiled at Cam. Cam blushed and laughed as the two of them made their way back down the aisle.

Claire and Merle followed them. Claire took the moment to stare at her father seriously. Jay nodded and mouthed the words "At the reception," and Claire nodded in return. Relieved, she joined back up with Phil as Merle returned to his wife Barb.

"You were so wonderful up there," Phil said as he gave her a soft peck on the lips.

* * *

_"Claire was so beautiful up there," Phil tells me. "I was reminded of the magical night when I married her… Well, we eloped pretty quickly in our apartment with Mitchell and my father there, but…it was still nice." He looks nervous as he thinks of something to say. "The vow renewal was amazing though. My idea, of course." He seems to have his swagger back._

* * *

"Yeah, I guess I was pretty good," Claire said abashedly.

"You were great, Mom," Alex said, beaming.

"You looked beautiful," Haley said. Claire smiled nervously, suddenly finding it hard to look at her oldest daughter.

"It was okay, I guess," Luke jibed. Alex punched him in the arm.

"Don't lie, you enjoyed it!" she hissed. Luke punched her in the arm harder.

"Don't start fighting now," Claire said. "Try not to kill each other at the reception. And no, Haley, you're not allowed to have any alcohol."

"But I'm legal in five months!" Haley whined.

"I don't want to hear it," Claire said.

* * *

_"Mom is such a control freak," Haley complains. "I mean, I know my limits. I can handle my liquor. Plus, the bartender owed me a favor, so it's not like he would have said no…"_

"_He owes you a favor?" we ask._

"_Well…I might have promised to take him to the coatroom and get a little 'hands-on…'" Haley bites her lip. "Hey, come on now. It was a wedding…" She looks nervously at me. "Get it? A _**_wedding_**_. Oh, never mind." She storms off in a huff._

* * *

"Relax," Phil said, wrapping an arm around his wife's shoulder as the five of them followed the crowd out. "The kids are going to be fine. And it's not like Haley hasn't had her fair share of booze in the past."

"Dad, quit it. You're embarrassing me," Haley moaned. Phil smiled and gave her a kiss on the cheek. Haley flailed her arms in protest, but then felt guilty and kissed Phil back. Claire gulped nervously but said nothing.

"Um…where _is_ the reception?" she asked. "It was going to be outside."

"I think it's just outside the room," Phil said. "I saw Pepper setting up the hors d'oeuvres in the lobby."

"That's going be a little tight," Claire said nervously. _How am I going to talk to my dad without Phil overhearing?_

"I'm sure it'll be fine," Phil said. They made it outside the hall and into the lobby, where everyone was already waiting in line for the food and especially the alcohol.

"Why don't you get us some food, honey?" Claire said. "I'm going to find Mitchell and congratulate him." She said this because she saw Mitchell going over to Jay looking rather awkward. "Besides, he's going over to Dad. I should be there in case things get a little tense."

* * *

_"Mitchell and Dad had…let's just say it was a disagreement," Claire tell me. "I wanted to step in so they didn't start a fight at the wedding. And of course, I needed to talk to Dad, so there may have been some ulterior motives…" She looks at the ground, running a hand through her hair._

* * *

"Oh, absolutely," Phil said. "Come on, kids. You get to pick out whatever you want to eat."

_Yes, take the kids with you_, Claire thought. She almost felt like cutting in line at the bar to help her relax, but she reconsidered, deciding she'd rather have a straight head on her shoulders when she talked to her father. She pushed through the crowd and away from her family, struggling to reach Jay just as Mitchell did.

"Hi Dad, Mitchell!" Claire said. "Congratulations, Mitchell. That was so touching."

"Thanks, Claire," Mitchell said. "Dad?"

"I was an ass," Jay explained. "That was the loveliest wedding I've ever been to, including my wedding to Gloria. I hope you can forgive me."

"It's fine, Dad. Water under the bridge," Mitchell said.

* * *

_"I was giving the toast," Jay tells me. "I worked it out with Cam's family. It was going to be a surprise to Mitchell and an apology. And boy, did I have a good one. I just needed to make sure he wasn't still mad at me."_

* * *

"That's good to hear, Mitchell," Jay said. "So we're good?"

Mitchell pondered this for a moment but smiled. "Oh, Dad. I can't stay mad at you."

"That's my boy," Jay said, giving Mitchell a hug. "Now, Claire, you were giving me the stink eye up there," he said, changing the spotlight a little too loudly for Claire's liking. "You feeling all right?"

"Claire, is something wrong?" Mitchell asked.

"Oh, God. Mitchell, I don't want to make this about me," Claire said. "I just wanted to run something by Dad real quick."

"Okay, that's fine," Mitchell said. "I'll go find the guys from work. Cam's with his family right now and I don't want to feel like the odd one out."

"Cam's family loves you," Claire said affectionately, "just as much as we love Cam. Right, Dad?"

"Of course," Jay said, but as Mitchell hugged his father and sister and walked away, Jay rocked his hand back and forth.

"Dad, try to behave," Claire said under her breath.

"I'm kidding!" Jay exclaimed. "Now, what's up with you? You looked like you were going to pass out when they were reading their vows."

"You know," Claire said uneasily. "It reminded me of Phil and me and when we decided to get married."

"You mean elope," Jay said. "And I think I know what you're talking about now." He leaned closer to Claire and whispered in her ear. "I never told a soul about it, not even your mother or Gloria. I know how tough it was to make that choice, and as uncomfortable as I sometimes am around Phil, I know how much you love him, and I wouldn't want it to fall apart, not after all this time."

"I get it, Dad," Claire said and then huffed. "I just felt so guilty up there, listening to them talking about being faithful. It kept reminding me of the whole thing and I was starting to feel a little nauseous."

"I understand, Claire Bear," Jay said, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"Oh, Dad," Claire said. "You haven't called me 'Claire Bear' since I was a little girl."

"It seemed fitting," Jay said. "Hey, if you ever feel uncomfortable about the whole thing, I'm just a phone call away. I told you then, and I'm telling you now, you don't have to go through this alone."

"Thanks, Dad," Claire said, putting her hand on top of her father's and smiling.

* * *

_"Hearing Dad be that supportive was a load off my mind," Claire says, "but it didn't last very long, because Mitchell came back. Then…things got a bit heated."_

* * *

_"I knew something was up with Claire," Mitchell says, "but I wasn't going to get involved if I could help it. It sounded pretty serious, and I didn't know what to expect when I went back over there."_

* * *

"Oh, you two," Mitchell said, suddenly appearing out of nowhere. Claire stepped back from Jay and Jay removed his hand from his daughter's shoulder.

"Oh, geez," Mitchell said, "don't pretend you're not being affectionate for my sake." He took a look at Claire, who was staring at the floor and rubbing her neck. "You feeling okay, Claire? You're white as a ghost."

"I'm fine, Mitchell," Claire said, staring at Jay and pleading for help with her eyes.

"Did the guys at work give you a hard time?" Jay asked Mitchell.

"They were very congratulatory, actually," Mitchell said. "Then they talked about us bringing toys to the honeymoon."

"Ah, geez," Jay said with a smile. "I got some of that from the guys at the club."

"Typical male lawyers," Mitchell said. "I swear they got themselves drunk as soon as they left the ceremony." Mitchell looked at his sister again. "Claire, are you sure you're all right?"

"Yes," Claire said with a look of desperation in her eyes. "No," she confessed. "Mitchell, it's hard for me to see you and Cam so happy when the 'ceremony' Phil and I had was so…rushed."

"I remember being your witness," Mitchell said. "You almost looked desperate to get hitched. I thought that was just because you were madly in love with him, but you're telling me otherwise now and I'm not sure what to think."

"The truth is," Claire said, "something happened that made us rush into things, and it wasn't comfortable for either of us, especially not me."

"Well, yeah," Mitchell said. "You were pregnant with Haley. I'm sure that must have been hard."

"Claire, are you sure you want to tell him about this?" Jay asked. Mitchell now looked distraught.

"Tell me about what?" he asked. "Claire, did something else happen that I don't know about?"

"Um…well, yes," Claire said sheepishly, biting her lip. "I…I screwed up, Mitchell, and it wasn't a good way for things to start between Phil and me."

"Well what happened?" Mitchell asked.

"Claire?" Jay added. Claire looked at him and his face was like stone. She turned to Mitchell and saw the look of worry that reminded her so much of their mother.

* * *

_"This was getting ugly real fast," Jay says. "I knew Claire was going to tell Mitchell what happened. Twenty years is too long to keep something like that secret from your brother. I just hoped Mitchell wouldn't overreact."_

* * *

"Okay," Claire said. "Do you remember Professor Cooke?"

"That sleaze?" Mitchell asked. "Yeah, that jerk was all over you like a cheap suit. I thought you were done with him after you graduated."

"Well…not exactly," Claire said. Mitchell glanced around nervously to make sure no one else from the immediate family was around.

"What are you talking about?" he hissed. "You mean you were still seeing him after you left school?"

"Yeah, for a little while," Claire said coyly.

"How long's a little while, Claire?" Jay prompted her.

"Well, I finally broke things off with him in March of '93," Claire said.

"March…" Mitchell mouthed to himself. "But you met Phil right after you graduated, and that was in May."

"Well, to be fair, I didn't start dating him until August," Claire said.

"That's still an overlap of eight months, Claire!" Mitchell hissed.

"Oh, don't act so high and mighty about it," Claire growled. "You don't know how pushy he was."

"I think we're getting sidetracked," Jay said, putting a hand on his children's shoulders. "Claire, why don't you just say what you need to? Rip it off like a Band Aid."

"Okay, _fine_," Claire whined. "The thing is, Mitchell, James and I were sleeping together, and we didn't stop until we broke up, and then nine months later Haley was born. Figure that one out."

"Claire…oh my God, _Claire_!" Mitchell said, barely able to contain his voice. "Are you saying Professor Cooke _might be Haley's_—?"

"I think we're all caught up now," Jay interjected. "Yes, Mitchell. The professor might be Haley's father. Claire realized this about three months in after hesitating to accept Phil's proposals, and when she figured out she might lose him she finally said yes."

* * *

_"Remember when I said I was afraid Mitchell would react badly?" Jay asks me solemnly. "Let's just say I was right."_

* * *

"Jesus, Claire!" Mitchell shouted.

"_Will you be quiet?_" Claire asked. "This is why I didn't tell anyone but Dad. I knew you'd freak out about this."

"Well, do you blame me?" Mitchell asked. "Your whole," he looked around and lowered his voice, "your whole marriage is based on a lie. What is a brother supposed to think?"

"Hey, Mitchell," Jay said, "what do you think a _father's_ supposed to think? I took it worse than you did. It's a wonder Dede didn't find out. But Claire loves Phil, and no matter how it started, they've been happy together for over twenty years. Do you expect her to throw all that away?"

"You divorced Mom," Mitchell reminded Jay.

"I was never happy with her," Jay said. Mitchell looked taken aback. "Sorry to offend your sensibilities, but Mommy and I didn't get along. I worked long hours and drank too much. She was lonely and sleeping with other guys."

"Dad!" Mitchell hissed.

"No, it's about time you knew the truth about your parents."

"Maybe it's time for Haley to learn the truth about hers."

"Mitchell!" Claire whispered. "If you tell anyone else about any of this, I will throttle you! You can't breathe a word to anyone, not even Cam. Understand?"

Mitchell looked ready to wring Claire's neck, but he sighed and his expression calmed.

"Fine," he said, "but only because it's really none of my business. It's between you and Phil, and I'm not going to destroy your marriage while trying to start my own."

"Oh, Mitchell!" came a singsong voice that could only be from one person. Cam worked his way to his husband, holding a glass of wine in one hand and grabbing Mitchell by the arm with the other.

"My family's just dying to see you," he said, then took a look at the three distraught Pritchetts. "Everything okay here?"

"We're fine, Cam," Jay said. "Go be with your husband."

"Will do!" Cam cheered. Mitchell looked sadly at Claire as Cam dragged him away. Claire and Jay gave each other a look and then turned away.

"There you are, honey!" Phil called. "I got you the food. Look, the kids are here, too. Oh, hi, Jay!"

"How's it going?" Jay asked curtly. Phil smiled, oblivious to the solemn expressions on the faces of his wife and his father-in-law.

"Alex, honey, you're eating like a bird," Claire said. "Look at how much Luke has on his plate, and you have so little."

"Mom, she's on some kind of crusade," Haley complained.

"It is _not_ a crusade!" Alex whined. "I am becoming a vegan. I need to watch my weight. I look _hideous_ in this dress!"

"Alex, you're beautiful," Claire said, pinching her cheek.

"Mom, stop," Alex said with a huff.

"Oh, give me a break," Haley said. "You're only doing this so you can impress Corey Williams."

"That's not true!" Alex yelled, but her quickly growing blush said more than her protesting ever could.

"Who's Corey?" Claire asked.

"Just a boy from school," Alex muttered.

"He's great, Claire," Phil said. "I've seen him around. Great guy. Alex really likes him."

"Do not," Alex moaned, but her blush got even worse, if that was possible.

"Gross," Luke grumbled.

"You're one to talk, Mr. 'I'm in love with Betty Davidson,'" Alex teased.

"You promised not to say anything!" Luke growled.

"Oh? And who's Betty?" Claire asked.

"Just some girl," Luke muttered.

"Betty is the captain of the cheerleaders," Alex said. "She's a _senior_."

"Lay off, Alex!" Luke whined.

"You know if she sleeps with you, it's considered statutory rape according to the state of California."

"Alex, don't tease your brother," Claire scolded. "I think it's cute Luke likes a girl. Is she pretty?"

"She looks like you, Mom," Alex said snidely.

"She does not!" Luke groaned with a grimace.

"She has blonde hair and hazel eyes, just like Mom," Alex teased.

"Oh my God, Alex, you're such a creep."

"You're the creep, Mama's Boy."

"That's enough," Claire said, taking a bite of the cheese and crackers Phil had gotten her. She grimaced and looked haughtily at Phil.

"You know I don't like Brie," she complained.

"Really? I thought that was white cheddar," Phil muttered.

"It's fine, Phil. I'll make Alex eat it. She loves Brie."

"Mom, weren't you listening?" Alex asked. "I'm a vegan now! I can't consume any dairy products!"

"Oh, just eat the damn cheese," Haley snapped.

"I can't!" Alex stared at the creamy white block of cheese on the buttery cracker and snatched it with a grimace. She took a bite and melted as the cheese melted in her mouth.

"There we go," Haley said.

"Damn it, Haley. This isn't good for my diet!"

* * *

_"Well,_**_that_**_didn't last long," Alex says, reflecting on the wedding._

"_She's a sucker for cheese," Haley adds, messing up Alex's hair._

"_I still have a weight problem," Alex tells Haley._

"_Better than the anorexia I had," Haley quips._

"_What?"_

"_Kidding! Kidding," Haley says. "Geez, you're so uptight."_

"_Don't joke about that!" Alex complains. "I know a girl who's bulimic. It's not funny."_

_I clear my throat to remind the feuding girls I'm still in the room._

"_Oh, um…" Alex says. "Yeah. Don't tell Jenny I said she was bulimic."_

"_He didn't know it was Jenny," Haley whispers harshly._

"_Oh my God," Alex says, covering her mouth. "Don't tell Jenny I told you it was Jenny who was bulimic."_

* * *

"Alex, you look fine. If Corey doesn't think you're pretty enough to date, it's his loss."

"Haley's right," Claire said. "You'd make quite the catch. Smart, funny, full of pep. Just make sure you marry a boy going to medical school."

"Corey wants to be an engineer," Alex explained.

"Good enough for me!" Claire cheered.

"Are you sure, Claire?" Phil asked. "I'd prefer she marry a realtor."

"Oh, Dad…" Alex said sweetly. The family started laughing. They suddenly heard a clinking noise from the front of the lobby. The Dunphys looked over to see Jay holding up a glass and tapping it with a spoon. Gloria was by his side, smiling as though she was modeling a new car at a game show.

"I want to propose a toast," Jay said when he was given a microphone. "Mitchell, Cam, I may have been a little rough on you at first. We've had our ups and downs over the years, but I've never been more proud of my son than I am right now. My first marriage didn't work out, boys. Don't make the same mistake I did. Mitchell, make sure you find the time to give Cam and Lily all your love. Cam, I hope you're always there for my son, even when he's being neurotic or a little snobby."

Mitchell rolled his eyes, but Cam put his arm around him and Mitchell smiled.

"Look, I won't drag this out longer than it has to be," Jay said. "I'm sure your arms are getting tired. I just want to take this moment to tell my son I'm sorry, and that I wish him all the best. To Cam and Mitchell!"

"Hear, hear!" the crowd cried, and everyone took a drink.

* * *

_"That meant so much to me," Mitchell admits, "to hear my dad give a toast. Yes, it was short, but that's just Dad being Dad. It came from the heart and it showed me that he really was sorry and he wished Cam and me all the best."_

"_I think my dad was a little disappointed he couldn't give the toast," Cam adds, "but after he heard it, he told me he couldn't have said it better himself. It was then I knew that Jay was going to be a wonderful father-in-law."_

* * *

_"I was so proud of Jay!" Gloria tells me, sitting with Jay and patting him on the chest. "He was so eloquent, and his toast was full of__amor."_

"_Well," Jay adds, "it was okay."_

"_Okay?" Gloria asks him. "It was beautiful! You saw how happy your son was when he was listening to it. And Cam loved it, too."_

"_What can I say?" Jay says with a sheepish grin. "Most of the time I strike out. Sometimes I hit a grand slam."_

* * *

"Dad, thank you so much!" Mitchell said, hugging his father. "I had no idea you were giving the toast!"

"I knew," Cam said. "We worked it out with my family."

"Yeah," Jay affirmed. "I felt pretty bad about the fight we got in just before the wedding, and I knew I had to do something to make it up to you. It was actually Cam's idea."

"No, it wasn't," Cam said. "He's just being modest. The idea was all his."

* * *

_"Actually," Manny explains to me, "it was mine." He rolls his eyes. "What would Jay do without me?"_

"_Oh, Manny, it's so good of you to let him take the credit for your idea," Gloria tells him, messing up his hair and giving him a kiss on the cheek._

"_What can I say?" Manny says with a smile. "I'm a humble man. The hero doesn't ask for recognition, he just does for his fellow man and is gone without a trace."_

* * *

"Well, thanks again, Dad," Mitchell said. "I'll remember this during the honeymoon."

"Well…" Jay said, looking squeamish. "Make sure you're not thinking about me too much when you're…ahem."

Cam started giggling like a schoolgirl. Mitchell blushed, and Jay patted him on the back.

* * *

_"I was so glad for Mitchell," Claire explains to me. "Really. It was a beautiful wedding, and it's going to be a lovely marriage. I just don't know what's going to happen to mine."_

* * *

"You have to tell him," Mitchell said after finding Claire and pulling her aside.

"Mitchell," Claire whined, but then she sighed. "You're right, you're right, damn you. It's going to break his heart, though."

"It has to be done," Mitchell said. "I lied all my life to you and the rest of my family about being gay. It was so hard for me to keep it a secret. Ever since I was eight, I knew, and the guilt and shame when I realized it tortured me for ten years. You've been living with it for twice as long, and it's time to let it go, no matter the consequences."

* * *

_"I knew he was right, of course," Claire says, "but how am I going to bring this up to Phil? 'Honey, you know I love you, but you know our first child, the reason we got married in the first place? She might not be yours!'" Claire laughs nervously and then gazes down sadly. "What am I going to do? Can you help me?"_

"_I'm just here to observe," I tell her._

"_Of course," Claire says. "Well, I guess we'll have to wait and see. I just hope it doesn't break his heart…"_

* * *

End of Chapter 01

**Author's Note: Fixed a few errors at 6:30 PM EDT on May 20, 2014**


	2. Claire's First Therapy Session

**The Illegitimate Daughter: A Modern Family Fanfiction**

by: cooopercrisp

Chapter 02: Claire's First Therapy Session

* * *

"_Needless to say," Claire explains, "I had a lot on my mind after the wedding. I was lying awake in bed, unable to sleep, when I realized I might need some professional help. It hit me out of nowhere and immediately felt like the right thing to do. I mean, I sent Luke to therapy, Alex sent herself to therapy, Haley…well, she's never been to therapy, but she'll have to if she ever finds out about this. So I figured why can't the mom of the household use some therapy, too?_

"_My only problem is Phil," Claire whispers. "He doesn't believe in therapy, and he's never explained why. He pulled Luke out of it and only reluctantly accepted when Alex started going, and if he finds out I'm going, he's going to think it's all about him and how he hasn't been there for me as a husband. Well," she says, glancing around as if to make sure Phil wasn't within earshot, "maybe he has a reason to be paranoid. So, I had to come up with a lie to explain why I was going to be gone for an hour."_

* * *

"I'm going to the gym!" Claire called out from the hall as she carried a gym bag out of the house. Phil joined her from the kitchen and smiled, shaking his head.

"You're going to the gym dressed like _that_?" he asked. Claire was wearing khaki pants, a blue blouse, and scandalously high heeled shoes that would have made even Haley cringe.

"I'll change when I get there," Claire explained.

Phil stood there smiling for a moment. Claire thought his gears were whirring, but she thought maybe she was just being paranoid.

"Have fun, honey," Phil said, pulling his wife in for an embrace and a kiss on the forehead.

"I'll be back to make dinner," Claire said as she hustled out the door.

"After working out at the gym? Nonsense. I'll take care of dinner tonight. You just enjoy yourself."

"Oh, babe," Claire said, giving Phil a kiss on the lips. "Thanks. Love you."

"Love you, too, Claire."

Claire was sighing as she left the house, relieved that Phil had let her go so easily and thrilled at the unexpected offer for him to take care of dinner.

* * *

"_He's such a good husband," Claire tells me, "you know, when he's not being an idiot. He takes care of me and the kids when I'm losing my mind. He won't hesitate to reschedule a showing if, say, Luke has a soccer game. The girls always lean on him to talk about their boy troubles. I usually get nosey and freak out too much to be a help to them, but he's always so supportive and he's a great listener. He'll listen to me bitch about all my little problems and he never gets impatient or snippy. I'm so lucky to have him for a husband." Claire sighs, looking away. "I just wish I would have realized that from the start."_

* * *

"_Did I think Claire was going to the gym?" Phil asks. "Absolutely not. You don't dress like that when you're going to the gym. But I can tell that look on her face when she needs some Claire time and take care of something personal. I wasn't going to bring it up, so I let her go without pestering her and trying to find out what it was." He looks at me and smiles, resting his arm on the back of the couch._

"_I know I don't have to question her because she's never given me a reason not to trust her. Well…yes, there was that college reunion with one of her professors, but that was just me being paranoid and jealous. Claire had her head on straight, and that's when I knew she'd never try to hide something from me. We have that trust that a lot of married couples don't have."_

_I was starting to feel uncomfortable, having heard everything Claire's been confessing to me all this time. Phil, as usual, was oblivious of my discomfort._

* * *

Claire was racing down the road towards Dr. Theodore Sampson's office. She had driven past there the other day so she'd know where to find it, but traffic was making her run late.

"For God's sake," she muttered, "where's everyone going? It's a Thursday afternoon!" Claire stared at the clock on her dashboard and sped up.

A car in the intersecting road came barreling towards the stop sign. Claire was afraid he wouldn't stop and swerved out towards the left lane of the road, honking her horn. When she got past, she rubbed her temple and took a breath before driving at a more reasonable speed.

Finally, she had arrived at the office. She quickly parked in the lot and, leaving the gym bag in the car, she marched up to the entrance of the office and into the reception area. She found the secretary, a younger man with horn-rimmed glasses.

"Checking in?" he asked, giving her a winning smile. Claire rolled her eyes; she was used to this kind of attention from men his age, and she really wasn't in the mood.

"I'm meeting with Dr. Sampson at three," she said swiftly. The secretary typed in a few things on his computer and found the schedule.

"Claire Dunphy?" he asked. "Didn't you run for city council three years ago?"

"Yes, that was me," Claire said, putting a hand on her chest. "Never again."

"I thought you were a great candidate," he offered with a big grin. "I voted for you."

"I appreciate that," Claire said, her eyes shifting around the waiting room. "Is there somewhere specific I should sit?"

"Oh, excuse me," the secretary apologized. "Any of those seats right over there. He'll be right out."

"Thanks," Claire said. She walked briskly towards the furthest chair from the desk.

"You're welcome!" he called, waving to her. Claire smiled, but then turned away and grimaced.

* * *

"_I really wasn't in the mood to be hit on," Claire explains. "Not that I think that's what he was doing, but he was being a bit friendlier than most people." She looked out the window of her living room. "Maybe I was just being sensitive. Maybe he was just trying to be nice. I was just trying to focus on what I wanted to say to Dr. Sampson."_

* * *

"Claire Dunphy?" called a man in a suit, presumably the doctor, as he stepped out of the hall.

"That's me," she said, waving to him and approaching him swiftly. "Claire," she said, offering her hand.

"Dr. Sampson," he replied, shaking her hand firmly. "You have a strong handshake," he said with a smile, leading her down the hall towards his office. Claire followed, trying to wipe the smile off her face.

* * *

"_He reminded me so much of Professor Cooke!" she explains, staring me down and speaking urgently. "The full head of hair, the chiseled jaw. I thought 'What is this guy. His cousin?'" She takes a deep breath to center herself. "But I couldn't let myself get distracted. I wasn't there to rehash old memories… Oh wait, that's exactly what you do in therapy." Claire chuckles and then bites her lip, looking off to the side. "This had the potential to be awkward."_

* * *

"Make yourself comfortable," Dr. Sampson said, indicating the leather couch where Claire was to sit. She sat down and looked around the room. There were bookshelves lined with all kinds of thick volumes with titles she barely understood. There was an area rug on the floor with intricate patterns that looked like it had come from a Latin American country. The couch was situated in front of wide windows that let in plenty of sunshine.

Dr. Sampson sat down in a chair facing her and smiled at her. Claire smiled back but then looked away.

"Why don't we start by talking about your family?" Dr. Sampson suggested. Claire was waiting for him to bring out a notepad.

"Um…" she mumbled.

"Something wrong?" Dr. Sampson asked.

"Aren't you going to write any of this down?" Claire asked sheepishly, looking around the room. "Isn't that how this works?"

Dr. Sampson chuckled. "Maybe with some therapists, but not with me. I prefer to just listen to my clients and take in what they have to say. I write my notes in between sessions for reference later, but most of it I keep up here." He pointed to his noggin.

Claire smiled nervously and bounced back and forth on the couch. "Well…my family's a big part of the reason I'm here."

"I know," he said. "You told me this when we were arranging to meet over the phone. But before we get into the details of why your family is causing you so much anxiety, let's find out who they are."

"Well, I have three beautiful children," Claire explained, staring at the rug on the floor and studying the intricate patterns woven into the fabric. "Haley's the oldest at twenty, and she's a gorgeous young woman, if not the brightest. But she's full of passion and has a big heart. I don't know what she's going to do with herself at this point in her life, and I worry about her future, but she's clever enough to adapt to anything that's thrown her way.

"Then we have Alex. She's sixteen, the middle child. Brilliant student, even more brilliant with sarcasm. There's a bit of a bite to her personality, but she's an ambitious young woman and she's going to have a bright future without question. Did you know she had a meltdown her last birthday and then arranged to see a therapist? She figured out transportation there and back and everything. My husband and I didn't have to lift a finger."

"I see," Dr. Sampson said. "What was the meltdown about?"

"She's so neurotic," Claire said apologetically, "especially about her studies. She has no reason to be, the girl's her class salutatorian and she'll have taken eight AP classes by the time she graduates next year. Well, at her party, we told her to relax and put the books away so she could enjoy her cake. She stuffs her hand into the cake and shovels it out, making a whole mess of the place, and then she storms off."

"Well, that certainly tells me a lot about her priorities," he said. "And the youngest?"

"Oh, Luke…" Claire said, and she had a look of worry on her face. "He's just like his father. We were afraid for a while both men in our family had ADHD. He shows occasional signs of brilliance, but most of the time he's got these weird quirks that might be a bit off-putting to the other kids in his class. I really worry about what's going to happen to him…"

"I see," the doctor said. "So, those are your children."

"My babies," Claire said with a beaming smile. "Love them so much."

"And what about their father?"

"'Their' father?" Claire asked. "Um…that's actually the reason I'm here."

"Oh?"

"Let's just say for now that he's fathered all three of my children, so he's their father."

Dr. Sampson made a mental note of this strange exchange.

"So, Phil…" Claire said with a nervous smile. "I love him so much. We eloped about twenty years ago because of a pregnancy scare."

"I take it that was Haley," Dr. Sampson said.

"Yep, that's right," Claire explained. "He's so…goofy. Like, I know, that's a terrible first word to use to describe your husband, but that's really a big part of his personality. Luke is definitely his boy, and Haley and Alex are my girls." Claire clapped nervously. "Sorry, I'm getting sidetracked." She cleared her throat and continued.

"Phil's a quirky guy for sure, but he's so kind and supportive. He always tells me how lucky he is to have me and how much he loves me. He's always picking me up when I fall, which is usually my job, but he's my rock. He's so calm under pressure, he's the eternal optimist against my cynicism, and he just does little things every day to tell me he loves me."

"What kinds of things are those?"

"Just today," Claire said. "He doesn't believe in therapy, so I told him I was going to the gym and would be back to make dinner. He told me not to worry about the dinner, he'd take care of it." She rolled her eyes. "How much you want to bet I come home to takeout Chinese?"

Dr. Sampson chuckled, and Claire smiled and laughed. She looked at him directly, but his gaze made her squirm and she turned away.

"Something wrong?" Dr. Sampson asked. Claire looked back up at him and blushed.

"You remind me of a guy I once dated," Claire admitted, taken aback by her own honesty.

* * *

"_What was I doing?" Claire asks me. "I've barely started talking to the guy, and I'm __**flirting**__ with him? No, no, maybe that's not what it was. It was the way I said it, it was just so…" She sighs. "He reminds me of Professor Cooke, who reminds me of this whole situation, which really makes me feel unsettled. So, I guess it was only a matter of time before the main problem came out."_

* * *

"Who is this man you're talking about?" Dr. Sampson asked.

"Well, Doctor," Claire began, but he held out his hand.

"'Doctor' implies you're my patient," he explained. "I like to treat therapy as more of a support system, almost like I'm your mentor. Feel free to call me Ted."

"Ted," Claire said, getting used to the word. "Oh, but that makes it even weirder."

"How so?"

"This guy I dated, he was…well, he was one of my college professors, but he insisted I call him Jim. We compromised and I called him James. It felt formal without reminding us of what we were doing and how…you know, how inappropriate it was."

"He was your professor," Ted reiterated. "Were you seeing him while you were his student?"

"No, no," Claire said, shaking her head adamantly. "It was after I had taken classes with him. We were both adults. It was…maybe it was a little questionable, but we didn't feel like we were doing anything wrong."

"These kinds of relationships happen more often than you might think," Ted explained. "My worry is about the imbalance of power. Did you feel like you had to do what he told you? That if he asked you for things, you had to bend over backwards to help him?"

Claire put a hand on her forehead, and a few stray tears fell down her cheeks. "You could say that happened literally."

"Literally bending your back," Ted responded. "Claire, what kind of things did he ask you to do?"

Claire looked at Ted with such fear in her eyes that he was afraid he had touched upon something personal too soon. Claire suddenly rose from the couch and made towards the door. Ted stood up and blocked her way.

"I don't want to be here right now," Claire said.

"I know," Ted said, "and usually I would say it's your session and that you have every right to walk out if you're feeling uncomfortable. But if I let every client of mine who was feeling a little nervous about revealing something leave the office, I wouldn't have much of a practice. So I am asking you to fight through your discomfort and trust me, even though you barely know me. I'm here to help you, and this is a safe place. I won't breathe a word of our conversations to anyone unless I fear you're in danger of hurting yourself or someone else. Then I'm required by law. Does that make sense?"

Claire sighed, nodded, and went back to the couch. She took out some lipstick and put it on nervously.

* * *

"_I clearly had no idea at the time what I was getting into," Claire explains. "Fifteen minutes in, and we're about to address the central problem, the whole reason I'm in therapy in the first place. I thought it would take weeks to get to this point, and here we were in session number one with me bearing my deepest, darkest secrets to a total stranger!" Her voice cracked at the end, and she laughed nervously. "I suppose I'm grateful for it, though, looking back. If we had dragged this out over weeks, I might not have been able to handle the stress of keeping it a secret from him."_

* * *

"Okay, might as well just say it!" Claire snapped, remembering her father's words: _Rip it off like a Band Aid_. She cleared her throat and crossed her arms across her stomach. "Professor Cooke—no, James—he took me out on our first date the semester after I was his student. We got more than a little drunk," she said, biting her lip, "and one thing led to another, and we slept together in his apartment."

"Bending over backwards," Ted repeated. "I see what you mean now."

"Hopefully not too clearly," Claire said, chuckling. Ted smiled.

"How long did you see him after that?" Ted asked.

"Oh, God," Claire said as she reminisced. "I didn't stop seeing him until March of '93, so we went out for…oh, God…over two years."

"Sounded pretty serious," Ted said, nodding to acknowledge what Claire had told him. "And you were sleeping together all this time?"

"Yes," Claire said, lowering her head and pressing her hand against her forehead. "He always initiated, but it wasn't just his doing. I never said no, and I wanted him as much as he wanted me. Well…maybe not _as_ much, but enough to enjoy it." Claire was blushing now, but Ted smiled.

"We're making excellent progress," he assured her. "Your candor is refreshing, especially on our first meeting. So, you were sleeping together on a regular basis. Were you always inebriated when he took you to bed?"

"What do you mean?"

"I want to make sure you were capable of giving consent," Ted said. "This balance of power between you two is an interesting thing to consider in the context of your relationship."

"Oh, I consented," Claire said, staring at the rug on the floor. "Oh yeah…I said yes to a lot of things…maybe more than I should have."

"Say more," Ted prompted her.

"More about what?" Claire asked.

"What things did you consent to that you regret?"

"Well…" Claire said, hesitating. "I guess there's only one thing I consented to that is important, and that's having sex with him unprotected."

"Really?" Ted asked. "So you ran the risk of becoming pregnant or infected with an STI."

"He didn't have any of those," Claire said hastily. "But pregnancy…that's a problem. Especially when I started seeing Phil."

"Your husband?"

"Yes."

* * *

"_Oh, my God, I was horrified," Claire reflects. "I guess after twenty years of bottling this up with Dad as my only outlet, I was just bursting to tell someone. It was like I was sucking venom out of my system, all my fear was coming out at once, and I wasn't totally equipped to handle that."_

* * *

"What was it like dating Phil?" Ted asked.

"I liked Phil," Claire explained, "a lot, and I tried to break things off with James, but every time I tried he would come onto me and I wouldn't be able to help myself. Phil wanted things from me, too, but I wasn't going to be one to be having sex with two men at once, so I made him wait."

"And what was his reaction to that?"

"He never put pressure on me to do anything I wasn't ready for, and for that I was grateful, and it made me like him even more, and then I got even more confused. I was attracted to James, and I was falling for Phil, and I don't even know why I was doing any of this." Claire buried her face in her hands.

"I can see you're confused," Ted said, "and to be honest, I'm having a difficult time following. Let me see if I have at least this much straight. You were sleeping with James while dating Phil. You wanted to break things off with James, but until then you weren't going to sleep with Phil because it would make you feel guilty. Is that all correct?"

"Yes," Claire said, "but then everything changed."

"How so?"

"It was February of '93, and I was having sex with James again, not knowing it would be for the last time. It turned out he was seeing another old student of his. We got into this huge argument and I stormed out of the apartment and directly over to Phil's place."

"Did Phil know what was going on?"

"No, he had no idea," Claire said. "He trusted me with everything, and of course that only made the guilt worse. I was hurting, and I wanted someone to hold me, and Phil was right there. We were drinking some wine he had bought and I was in his arms on the couch. I was angry with James for seeing two people at once, and I did it for payback."

"Did what for payback?"

"I…well, I slept with Phil."

"I see," James said, giving Claire a sad smile. "I can see this is making you distraught."

"Not even Dad knows about all of this that was going on," Claire said. "Phil was smarter than James, he had condoms ready and we used protection. I knew then he had far more respect for me than James ever did, and I told him I loved him."

"How did he react?"

"He was thrilled, said he loved me, too, and then surprised me with tickets to a Duran Duran concert."

"How was the concert?"

"I hated Duran Duran, but that's not important," Claire said. "We…well, we slept together in the back of Phil's old wagon, but it wasn't until weeks later that we realized the condom we had used had a tear in it."

"Why'd it take that long to find that out?"

"Security caught us just as we were finishing and ordered us to leave, so we didn't have time to throw the condom away, and by the time we made it back to Phil's place we forgot it was in there. It was only when Phil was cleaning out the wagon did he find the broken condom, but by then it was too late for the morning after pill."

"Indeed it would have been. But I have a question now. You found out James was cheating on you back in February, but you didn't officially call it quits until March."

"He came over to my place early in March with flowers and chocolates, trying to be apologetic. I was angry and I told him that I had been seeing Phil for months behind his back. He was furious and we started shouting at each other, and it wasn't until we heard the neighbor banging on the wall next door telling us to quiet down did we realize we couldn't do this anymore. He left, and I never saw him again.

"Well, I had been seeing Phil for eight months, and we'd had sex for one, and that seemed to be enough for Phil to decide he wanted to be with me for the rest of our lives. He proposed to me a week after my last fight with James, and I was so overwhelmed I had to say no."

Ted was about to ask something, but Claire was talking so fast that he didn't have a chance to respond.

"What Phil didn't know, and what I hadn't told him, was that I had taken a pregnancy test and it had come out positive. I was pregnant, and I didn't know if James or Phil was the father.

"I tried to pretend it was a false positive, but as the months rolled on, I started developing all the symptoms. Cravings, morning sickness, irritability. Phil was proposing to me all this time, but I wasn't ready to admit that it was time to settle down and have a family. But then he put two and two together and asked me if I was pregnant.

"I couldn't lie to him. I was tired of the lying and the games, so I explained that yes, I was pregnant. We went to the doctor and he told us we were three months along. Phil assumed it had been the broken condom at the Duran Duran concert, and I thought it very well might have, too, but I also knew it was possible that it could have happened with one of James and my nights of unprotected sex.

"Realizing we were about to have a baby, I decided to accept Phil's proposal and we hurried to elope so we didn't have to tell our first child someday that we had him or her out of wedlock. We knew we didn't want that hanging over our child, so we got my brother and his father to be the witnesses and we got married. Five months later, Haley was born, and she was so precious that all the drama from the past two years seemed to melt away. I was more than happy to accept that Phil was my daughter's father, and I didn't dare cause any doubt for any of my family."

Claire finally stopped talking, leaving a silence in the room. Ted's brain was whirring. Though he was educated, it was tough for even him to keep up with all of the turmoil Claire had been through.

"This secret, though," he finally said, "this terrible, black secret. Did you keep it to yourself for twenty years, or did you tell someone?"

"I called my dad shortly after Phil and I eloped. He knew I was pregnant, but didn't understand why I had decided to marry Phil so suddenly. He wasn't a huge fan of Phil, to say the least, and I realized I had to confess to him the real reason behind our marriage so that he might be a bit more sympathetic to him. I explained to him that Phil might not be my baby's father.

"I was going to explain the whole story to him, but he said he had heard enough. He didn't talk to me for weeks, and I couldn't tell Phil why I was upset about that. It was torture until Dad called me and told me he understood why the hurry and that my secret was safe with him. I remember him saying 'I don't know who this other asshole is, but I know you love Phil, and he's going to make a great father for your daughter.' That was one of the few times he ever gave Phil a compliment, and when I told Phil that, he was thrilled. That seemed to calm things. Phil was confident that he was welcome in the family, I was relieved that I didn't have to hold this secret alone, and Dad was able to support me when I was feeling guilty. It made things between Phil and me far less chaotic, and we were ready to raise Haley when she came in October."

"Well, I can safely say I see why you're here," Ted said, after a contemplative silence. "You may have had your father to support you, but you've told no one else about the possibility Phil isn't Haley's father, especially not Phil and Haley. You told me your brother's wedding was bringing up a lot of turmoil, and I take it their wedding reminded you of the circumstances behind your elopement, and now the burden of hiding this secret from your family for twenty years is overwhelming you now."

"You could say that," Claire said, a tear falling down her cheek. "Doctor—"

"Ted."

"Yes, Ted," Claire said with a light chuckle, "I know what I have to do to make this right, but I'm afraid it's going to tear my family apart. Do you think I should tell them the truth?"

Ted folded his hands and looked at Claire carefully. "I don't think you're ready to reveal that kind of information," he said. "There's a lot of pain and confusion here that you should work through before you'll be strong enough to help your husband with the inevitable anger and confusion he's going to feel. And your daughter…your daughter will find it even harder to take. Let's keep this in here for now and work on your unresolved emotions together before you decide to make this confession."

"But you do think I should confess at some point?"

"I hesitate to say this now," Ted said, wringing his hands, "but I believe your guilt and pain will not be assuaged until you make this confession. Of course, this is going to bring about great changes in your life that you might not be prepared for, but the guilt of hiding this secret any longer may drive you away from Phil and your children, whereas if you make this confession and work on healing your relationship, you will have a chance to save your family. Does that make sense?"

"No," Claire said honestly, "but I understand now's not the time to confess. Should I tell Dad about any of this?"

"Only if you feel comfortable," Ted advised. "I understand why you might want your father's support, but I think you need to handle your emotions with a professional first and foremost. You don't have to say anything to him about our work here, but if you want to let him in a bit on the events leading to this decision to elope with Phil, it might help him understand you better and become a stronger support as a result.

"It looks as though we're out of time," Ted said, looking at the clock on the wall. "Time flew by quite quickly, if I do say so myself."

"It's been fifty minutes already?" Claire asked. "Wow, this is insane."

"Not insane, just complicated," Ted said. Claire smiled, rose from the couch, and shook Ted's hand.

"You can arrange our next appointment with Chad up front," Ted said. "You can make your payment with him as well."

"Thank you," Claire said. She walked briskly out of the office and ran a hand through her hair as she approached the reception desk.

"Can I see your insurance card?" Chad asked as Claire approached him. Claire fished it out of her wallet, and he entered in the information. Unlike when she had come in, Chad was not joking around or flirting with Claire, and she wasn't sure whether to feel relieved or disappointed.

"Okay, your copay is twenty dollars," he said. Claire handed him her debit card, and he ran it through quickly and returned it to her.

"Sign here," he said when the receipt printed out. Claire's signature was swift and a bit shaky.

"Now," Chad said, taking the receipt and giving Claire her copy, "did you want to set up an appointment for next week?"

"Yes, I would," Claire said with a nervous grin.

"How about same time and place, next Thursday at 3?"

"That should work," Claire said, looking around to see when she could get out of here.

"Okay, you're penciled in. Would you like a card?"

"Sure," Claire said. Chad picked out a card with Dr. Sampson's information. He jotted down the date and time of the meeting and gave it to Claire.

"See you next week," he said with a smile, which helped Claire feel a little better.

"Thank you, Chad," Claire said. Chad smiled as Claire marched out of the office and towards her car.

* * *

"_My head was spinning so fast," Claire said. "I hadn't thought that hard about what happened in years, and it all came flooding back at once in a way I didn't expect. I was afraid it would be so forefront on my mind that I'd blurt everything to Phil the moment I got home, but I kept it to myself."_

* * *

Claire pulled into her driveway and entered the house. She could smell the takeout Chinese she had predicted would come and saw Phil and her children sitting at the kitchen table waiting for her.

"It's a bit early for dinner, isn't it guys?" Claire asked, taking her seat next to Phil and giving him a kiss on the cheek.

"Figured you'd be hungry after your workout," Phil said cheerily. "Besides, the kids smelled the food and almost started eating without you."

"It looks great," Claire said. Phil handed her the order she always made: chicken lo mein with pork fried rice and extra duck sauce. The Dunphy family wasted no time in digging in.

"So how was your workout?" Phil asked through a mouthful of dumplings.

"It was a workout, all right," Claire said nervously. Phil smiled and took another hefty bite of dumplings.

* * *

"_She looked really uptight," Phil says to me, "like, more uptight than she normally is. I knew it wasn't gym related, but I didn't want to confront her and find out what was wrong. Besides, I figured I knew a way to make her relax, but I can't explain it, because it's a little PG-13!" Phil chuckles and I smile sheepishly."_

* * *

"_I can tell right away when Phil wants to have sex," Claire tells us. "Given the amount of trouble sex has gotten me in the past, and that all that trouble got brought up again today, I was in absolutely no mood. So when we went up to bed, I had to find a way to let him down easy."_

* * *

"The workout really was exhausting," Claire said in response to Phil's lascivious stare that looked goofy more than anything else, "and I have a headache. Maybe tomorrow."

"Ah, the headache!" Phil said, a hint of frustration in his voice well masked by his jovial façade. "The classic reason for a wife to not get it on with her mate." His smile seemed more genuine now. "It's okay, honey," he said, tucking himself into bed next to her. "It'll be worth the wait."

"It always is," Claire said with a wink. She kissed her husband gently on his forehead.

"Night, Phil," she said, turning out the lamp on her nightstand and shutting her eyes.

"Night, Claire," Phil responded, turning out his own light and lying down comfortably.

"Love you," Claire said, but Phil was already asleep. Claire rolled her eyes. Sleep always came so easy to him, and Claire always struggled to calm down enough to fall asleep as well. Now, especially, she was lying awake with her mind spinning.

_Not dealing with this tonight_, she thought. She crawled carefully out of bed and into her bathroom to the medicine cabinet. She took out some sleeping pills and popped them quickly before returning to bed and shutting her eyes.

For a while, she was still laying wide awake, reminiscing on the chaos surrounding Haley's conception. The dosage of the sleeping medication eventually took over her thoughts and caused her to artificially pass out. The last thought she had was that she hoped she didn't have to make a habit out of taking sleeping pills, all the while realizing that that might be very likely.

* * *

End of Chapter 02


	3. Taking a Leap

**The Illegitimate Daughter**

by: cooopercrisp

Chapter 03: Taking a Leap

* * *

Alex barged into her room, where her sister was busy chatting amiably on her cell phone. _She's probably talking to some guy_, Alex thought, rolling her eyes.

"Hold on, Tim," Haley said, covering the phone with her hand and glaring at Alex.

_Knew it!_

"Haley, have you seen my laptop?" Alex barked.

"Ew, no. What would I want with your computer? It's probably got a bunch of nerdy stuff on it."

"School assignments are not nerdy! They're the key to our future! I need that computer for a project!"

Haley sighed. "The world isn't going to end if you don't complete one stupid project."

"Do you realize I'm trying to get into Princeton? It's my top choice, and they won't even touch an application of a student without a 4.0 GPA."

"Please, you're overreacting," Haley said. "Go see if Luke has it." She brought her phone back up to her ear.

"Sorry about that, Tim," she said, putting on a flirtatious air. "So…what are you wearing?"

"Disgusting," Alex muttered as she marched out of the room and slammed the door.

* * *

"_As obnoxious as Haley is," Alex recalls, "she's probably right about Luke stealing my computer. I just wish she stopped caring about boys and clothes and started concerning herself with her future! Look at her, she's living in our parents' house when she should be off at college, she's got a shitty job at the mall that she only took to get the 20% discount on the clothes, and she talks to a different guy at least once a week." Alex's eyes suddenly shoot open. "Oh my God, I sound like Mom." She put her hand on her forehead and sighed. "When did I turn into Mom?"_

* * *

"Luke!" Alex yelled, banging on his bedroom door. She waited for a response, but there was no sound from his room. A faint murmur was coming from the room, though, so Alex stuck her ear closer to the door and could hear some kind of noise almost like a television show.

"Luke, I know you're in there!" Alex yelled, banging on the door again. When she got no reply again, she pushed on the door and was surprised to find it open.

"Luke, what are you…why are you using my computer?"

"It's nothing," Luke said hastily.

* * *

"_The first thing on my mind was porn, of course," Alex says with a look of disgust. "Fifteen year old boy, and you can find just about anything on the Internet… Not that I've looked! Now, you might be surprised to hear this, but I'm not such a prude that I think porn is gross. It __**is**__ gross that he might have been watching it on __**my**__ laptop. So I rushed over to his bed to get a glimpse of what he was looking at…"_

* * *

"You're watching My Little Pony?" Alex cried. Luke flipped the laptop closed and glared at his older sister.

"Shut up!" he hissed. "Do you want the whole house to hear?"

"What are you doing watching a little girl's show?"

"You don't understand!" Luke protested. "The characters are complex and the writing is sophisticated. It's a show for all ages."

"It's a show about colorful, talking horses, Luke," Alex combated. "Not exactly something a boy gets excited about."

"There's a whole community around it," Luke whined, "and they're full of guys my age and older! It's not weird!"

"No, it is weird," Alex said with a sneer. "Even for you."

"Will you two be quiet?" Haley whined, suddenly appearing in the doorway. "Tim heard you guys yelling and said he suddenly got busy and hung up!"

"Sorry to interrupt your phone sex," Alex said snidely, "but Luke's watching My Little Pony on my laptop."

"Seriously? _That's_ what this about?" Haley groaned. "You two are such babies."

"I'm not a baby!" Luke protested. "This show transcends its target demographic."

"Tell him he's a creep," Alex said, waving her hand at Luke as if modeling a car.

"Eh, I've seen it," Haley said nonchalantly. "Rarity's okay, I guess."

"Are you nuts?" Luke asked, moving the laptop off of his lap and standing up. "Rarity's so snotty and boring. Rainbow Dash is the awesome one. She can fly at blinding speeds and she's an athlete and she's so confident!"

"So basically the opposite of you?" Alex chided.

"Whatever," Haley said. "Alex, you found your laptop, so just take it and get out of Luke's room. Luke…just find something else to do."

"Okay, _Mom_," Luke jibed. "Whatever you say."

Alex huffed, grabbed the laptop, and stormed out of the room, leaving Haley alone with Luke.

"So you think the show's okay?" Luke asked.

"Not my thing, but it's not bad," Haley replied, patting Luke on the shoulder. "You could do a lot worse."

Luke grinned goofily, and Haley took her hand off his shoulder.

"Alex is right, though," she said, "you are a creep."

"Hey!" Luke cried, but Haley was already out the room and texting. _Probably trying to get Tim back on the phone_, Luke thought with a grimace.

* * *

_Alex looks nervously around the room. "Okay, don't tell Luke this, but he had a point about the whole 'Internet community,' so I figured something must have been up with the show. So…I looked at one of the episodes, and…Twilight is just like me!" She giggles a bit, but then hears a snicker. She turns and sees Luke leering over her shoulder._

"_Told you it wasn't weird," he says. Alex reaches out to slap him, but he pulls away, laughing as he leaves the room. Alex turns back to me and glares._

"_You couldn't have told me he was right there listening in?" she asks._

"_I'm supposed to be the neutral observer," I said._

"_Ugh, whatever," Alex says, throwing up her hands and then folding them across her chest. "Why do we talk to you again?"_

"_Your college fund," I reply._

"_Oh, yeah…"_

* * *

Claire was downstairs, listening to her children bicker and frowning. Phil walked up behind her and hugged her, wrapping his arms around her waist.

"They certainly can't stand each other," Phil said with a chuckle. Claire smiled and held her husband's cheek, giving his other cheek a small kiss.

"Do you think we should do something?" Claire asked. "I don't want them mad at each other."

"They're siblings!" Phil exclaimed. "They're always going to fight. Just know that they love each other anyway, and we love them."

"We sure do," Claire said, grabbing Phil's wrists and swaying with him.

* * *

"_You have no idea how afraid I was," Claire explains. "Phil talking about us loving our children, me knowing that one of 'our' children might not be 'his' child. It's strange. For twenty years, I buried it so far down that I could almost pretend it was certain that Phil was the father. Then Mitchell gets married and…all of a sudden that changes. Why?"_

* * *

"I have a question," Claire said to Ted in his office at their next therapy session.

"Questions are valuable," he said. "They help us narrow down our work."

"Right," Claire said, chuckling. "It's just, I've been able to hold onto this for so long, then all of a sudden my brother gets married and now it's eating away at me. Why is that?"

Ted smiled. "Well, Claire, I'm your therapist, not a mind reader," he explained. "Only you know the answer to that. All I can do is help you get there."

Claire sighed. "You're right, you're right. Okay, so…I think it was the vows. They promised to be faithful to each other, and I wasn't faithful to Phil, and now that's eating away at me. Maybe…maybe I'm envious of my brother. He has a marriage with no secrets, and I've been haunted by one for nearly half my life." Claire sighed and rubbed between her eyes with her fingers.

"You don't know for a fact Mitchell's not hiding something from Cam," Ted explained, "just as Mitch had no idea about your secret until you told him. Things aren't always as they appear on the outside, and you can never judge someone on the surface without really getting to know them. Now, what I'm interested in is how you managed to keep this a secret for twenty years."

"Um…I don't know," Claire said, then she remembered an anecdote. "I used to play house with Mitchell when we were little, and we always said, 'let's play pretend we're married,' or, 'let's play pretend we're boyfriend and girlfriend.' Well, it was funny, Mitchell was always the wife and I was the husband. I know obviously that wasn't going to be true for us someday, but we just pretended it was true and we really believed it, because we were kids and we could use our imagination.

"I…wow, I'm remembering something now," Claire suddenly realized. "I had just eloped with Phil, and we were sleeping in bed together, and I was awake mulling over this whole mess, and I said to myself, 'let's play pretend Phil is Haley's father.' And I knew he was going to be a great father, and who was I to ruin that?

"So I shoved it down and tried to forget," she continued. "I had nightmares about the truth coming out for the first few years, but those eventually went away. The guilt never did, though, and I think it made me more edgy, more uptight." Claire then frowned and wiped at her eyes.

"I'm not the person I once was," she said. "I tried to protect my babies so they wouldn't make the same mistakes I did, wouldn't have to live with the same guilt. But Haley doesn't seem to get it. She's just like I was, and I'm afraid…I'm afraid she'll make the same mistake I did, or worse…" Tears now started trickling down Claire's face. Ted said nothing, but reached over to a box of tissues and offered them to Claire. She took them and wiped her eyes.

* * *

"_Yes, it was all starting to come out," she said. "All the pain, the regret, the fear, it was all bubbling up. And the more it came out, the harder it was to hide from Phil."_

* * *

Claire had a glass of wine in her hand and was sipping it when Phil came down from the bedroom.

"What are you doing still up?" he asked her. Claire shuddered and turned to face her husband, looking like she had been caught stealing a cookie from the cookie jar. "And you're drinking?" he asked, seeing the glass in her hand.

"I couldn't sleep," she said.

"I know, we're constantly getting sleeping pills at the grocery store now," Phil said. "The wine's a new one, though. You didn't…you didn't take the pills and drink, did you?"

"What kind of person do you think I am, Phil?" Claire asked. "I'm trying to relax, not black out."

"What's got you so uptight?" he asked, putting a hand on her arm. Claire didn't have the energy to pull it away. "It's summer vacation, I'm selling like crazy, and the family just had a beautiful wedding. What are you afraid of?"

* * *

"_I almost told him right then and there," Claire explains. "I'm actually not sure why I didn't. Maybe I wasn't drunk enough, or maybe there was a part of me that still thought I could play pretend. I didn't have an answer for him, though, so I did the only thing I could."_

* * *

Claire set down the glass on the counter and put her head on Phil's chest, hugging him tightly. She started to sob. Phil stroked her hair and shushed her gently like a baby.

"Claire, I don't understand," he said. "What's brought this on?"

"Oh, you know," Claire said. "It's this life, it's just…Cam and Mitchell have so much to look forward to, raising their little girl, and our kids are almost grown, and I have some regrets. I wish I had enjoyed them more, had more fun times with them, wasn't just the strict, hyper-controlling, Type A mom. That's not who I wanted to be, and now that I'm realizing it, it's too late…"

* * *

"_Actually, that was true," Claire explains, "but it wasn't the whole truth. I didn't tell him why I had become so overbearing. I wasn't ready to take that step."_

* * *

Claire and Phil suddenly heard some noise coming from upstairs. They froze, a million different scenarios playing in their minds, the worst of them that an armed burglar was upstairs getting ready to wake the kids.

"Phil, go up there and find out what's going on," Claire ordered nervously.

"What, me?" Phil said. "Do I look strong enough to fight off whatever's up there? I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm packing some killer biceps—"

"Not now, Phil," Claire hissed. "Just…just go check it out."

They heard someone start moving down the stairs.

"Oh, God, Phil, they're coming down here!" Claire said in a panic. She started rummaging through the bottom cabinets, making a lot of noise.

"Claire, do you want them to know we're down here?" Phil asked. "What if they come after us?"

Claire pulled out a frying pan and held it like a bat. Phil winced and Claire lowered her arms.

"Sorry!" she whispered. "Look, I just want to be ready in case we have to defend ourselves."

There was a sudden loud clattering noise. Phil and Claire recognized it immediately as the broken stair, which a burglar certainly couldn't have known about.

"Shit!" came a hushed voice, and Claire and Phil recognized it right away.

"It's Haley," Claire said, putting the frying pan on the counter and smiling. "It's Haley!" she suddenly snapped, marching towards the stairway, Phil reluctantly following her.

"And where do you think you're going at this time of night, young lady?" Claire barked as she glared at Haley from the bottom of the stairs. She was carrying high heel shoes, wearing both a skimpy dress and a look of horrified guilt on her face. She suddenly put on a mask of anger.

"Mom, I'm not sixteen anymore!" she cried. "I should be able to go out whenever I want."

"Not looking like that, you're not!" Claire spat. "And you may be an adult now, but you still live in our house and you have to abide by our rules, and one of those rules is definitely not to sneak out at night, probably to meet up with some guy without telling us!"

"_Ugh_. This is why I didn't tell you! I knew you'd react like this!"

"React like what? Like a concerned mother who doesn't want to see her daughter pregnant?"

"Easy, Claire…" Phil warned her softly.

"Oh, like who, Mom? You mean _you_?"

"You were never supposed to hear that message on the answering machine!"

"Well, you're just a huge hypocrite! You let Dad knock you up and _had_ to marry him. I wonder if you even loved him!"

"Haley Gwendolyn Dunphy, I will not have that kind of language spat in my face! If you talk to me in that tone of voice again—"

"What? You'll _ground_ me? Like it or not, Mom, _I'm an adult_, and I'm going to make my own choices."

"Well, it's my job to make sure you don't make the wrong ones." Claire suddenly turned to Phil. "Back me up, Phil!"

Phil looked at Claire uneasily and cleared his throat. "Haley, listen to your mother," he said lamely. Claire snorted.

"_That's_ all you have to say? This is your daughter! You should be protecting her."

"For the last time, I'm not a little girl anymore!" Haley cried. "Now, if you'll excuse me."

"Unbelievable," Claire said. She stood at the bottom of the stairs to block Haley from leaving. Haley ran into her and they started shoving at each other. Claire could feel anger building, but she suddenly caught herself and backed off, allowing Haley just enough of an edge to get past her and out the door. Claire and Phil were left watching her leave.

"Haley!" Phil called, running after her in his sweats and slippers. "Haley!"

* * *

"_I was going to go out with him," Claire explains, "but I knew this was something Phil and Haley had to go through on their own. I'd already done enough damage, and it was my husband's turn to do clean up."_

"_When I saw my little girl leaving," Phil recalls, "I remembered the wonderful baby girl we brought home from the hospital. She had grown up so fast—too fast, actually—and I just wanted to hold onto the last piece of childhood she had left, where she still needed her daddy."_

* * *

"Haley, wait," Phil said, and to his surprise, Haley actually stopped, but she didn't turn around.

"I know it looks bad to Claire to see you sneaking out of the house," he said to her back, "but maybe you have a good reason. I won't make any assumptions until I hear you out."

Haley sighed, her shoulders slumping. "There's this guy I've been talking to. His name's Tim."

"Tim?" Phil asked. "Tim who?"

"Don't know."

Phil grimaced, but cleared his throat and took a calming breath. "And where did you meet this Tim?"

"He's from San Francisco," Haley said. "I met him online. We talk over the phone and Skype, and things kind of started getting serious. He's around the corner, waiting for me to meet up with him so we can meet in person and he can take me on a real date."

"Haley, Haley," Phil said, rushing over to her and putting a hand on her shoulder. "You don't know anything about this guy. You've seen him on Skype, sure, but how do you know the guy waiting around the corner is the same guy you've been chatting with online? What if he's some stranger who wants to take you away?"

"Dad, no, that's not what's happening." Haley turned around to face Phil. "He's a nice guy and he really listens to me and I love him."

"A guy you've never met?" Phil asked. "Honey, there's no possible way you could know that. Now, I'm as high-tech as they come, but there's no substitute for real human contact."

"What do you think tonight's for?"

"No, but Haley, you need that human contact before you can say you're in love with someone." Phil cleared his throat uncomfortably. "You didn't…you weren't…"

"Weren't what?"

"I mean, I know on Skype you're on camera, and I just wanted to make sure you weren't…you know…disrobing for him, or anything."

"Oh my God, _gross_!" Haley cried, pushing Phil away. "How could you even say that?"

"I don't want to think about it either!" Phil cried. "But as much as I hate to admit it, you're not my baby girl anymore. You're all grown up, and you're going to be involved in that kind of stuff, and I'm not ready for it! I don't think I ever will be."

"Dad, I promise," Haley said with a smile. "We kept our clothes on."

* * *

"_That actually wasn't true," Haley admits to me, holding her head in her hands. "It was before Mom moved me back up to Alex's room. I think she assumed with Alex around it would keep me out of trouble, and I guess she was right about that… But before that, we were, uh…um, I don't know if I feel comfortable talking about this…"_

"_It's okay," I say. "I think I get the picture."_

* * *

"Honey, you know what happened with your mom and me," Phil said. "Claire just doesn't want the same thing to happen to you. But, you know what?" he asked, putting both hands on her shoulders and looking down at her with a smile on his face. "We might have thought it was a mistake at first, but it really wasn't, because that so-called 'mistake' gave us you."

Haley smiled in spite of herself and hugged Phil tightly. "Thanks, Dad," she said. She pulled away and sighed. "And I know you're right, too. I just…I feel so trapped in that house, and then this Tim guy comes along and makes my life exciting, and…I don't know, I guess I thought that meant I loved him."

"I think I know what you mean," Phil said. "But don't worry. You'll find a guy that really makes you excited and treats you like the angel you are. And he'll be a realtor or a doctor."

Haley giggled. "Dad…"

"Kidding," Phil said. "Now, you're saying this guy is waiting for you around the corner?"

"Oh, right," Haley said, looking at the ground awkwardly. "Guess I need to tell him to go home. Um…" she hesitated, looking at Phil. "Can you help me talk to him?"

"Absolutely," Phil said with a smile. He and Haley went around the corner, anticipating a confused and annoyed young man waiting in a car. When they turned the corner, there was no car in sight.

"Um…are you sure this is the right corner?" Phil asked.

"Yeah, I gave him the street address for that house right there," Haley said, pointing at one of the houses on the corner. "He has a GPS system on his car. He would have been here…"

"Well, where do you think he is?" Phil asked, looking around the street to see if he could find a car anywhere.

"I don't believe it," Haley said, now looking crestfallen. "Son of a bitch stood me up."

Haley looked at Phil sadly, looking lost and alone. Phil closed the distance and gave her a hug, which she accepted tightly.

"I thought he really cared about me," she said, trying to hold back tears.

"I know, honey," Phil said, rubbing her back. "This happens. There's guys that say they care about you when they really don't."

"What did I do wrong?" Haley asked tentatively.

"Maybe it's not you," Phil suggested. "Maybe he got cold feet because he thought he wasn't good enough for you."

"Pfft, yeah, right," Haley said, rolling her eyes.

"No, I'm serious." Phil pulled back and looked down at Haley. "You're a beautiful girl, and you deserve better than some creep on the Internet. Look, are you sure there isn't anyone at work you're not interested in, some buddy of yours that you'd like to get more serious with?"

"There's no one, Dad," Haley explained. "It's a store for women's clothes. It's only girls working there. Well…actually, there's one gay guy named Stew who handles the service desk, but obviously he's not an option."

"How do you know he's gay?" Phil asked.

"I ran into him when I was out with Uncle Mitchell," Haley said, "and the two of them were flirting, you know, just for fun. Obviously Mitchell didn't mean it, but still, when Stew walked away, he asked me not to tell Cam."

"I see," Phil said. "Well, there's got to be somebody… Ooh, what about that Andy kid? You guys have gotten pretty close, and I think he really likes you."

Haley sighed and frowned, gazing at Phil vulnerably. "I don't know. I thought I liked him, but then Alex got it in my head that if I wasn't serious about it that I shouldn't break his heart, and that made me doubt myself. Besides, he hasn't talked to me since our last phone call at the wedding."

"What were you two talking about?" Phil asked.

"He's got this girlfriend who keeps giving him the cold shoulder, and I told him he deserved better, and I think he might have gotten the idea that I was talking about _me_. But I kind of brushed him off, and now he won't speak to me."

"That bites," Phil said, pulling Haley into another hug. "But I think the question here is, do you really like him?"

"No…well, maybe…I don't know," Haley put her hand on her forehead and shut her eyes, hoping the cool breeze would help her clear her head.

"Okay, let me put it a different way," Phil proffered. "Does he make you feel special, like you're the most beautiful girl in the world?"

"Yeah, I think he does," Haley said with a small smile. "I mean, not directly, but I can tell he really cares about me."

"Is talking to him as easy as talking to family?"

"Easier," Haley admitted. Phil chuckled and mussed up Haley's hair.

"Do you like him for more than his looks? Do you think about more than just getting into bed with him and fooling around?"

"Jesus, Dad," Haley said, blushing, but with a grin on her face. "If I was going by looks alone, Andy wouldn't even be on my radar. But he's more than that. He's sweet and friendly and he makes me laugh."

"All good signs," Phil said. "Why don't you call him up right now, see if you can't talk to him about what happened between you two at the wedding?"

"But Dad, he hasn't called me! I don't think he wants to talk to me."

"Let him be the one to tell you that," Phil suggested. "I've seen the way he talks to you. He'll be thrilled to hear your voice over the phone."

"If he likes me so much," Haley reasoned, "why hasn't he called me?"

"Maybe he's scared or hurting. You kind of left things a little ambiguous; maybe he doesn't want to talk to you and prove his fears of rejection right.

"Here, let me tell you a story," Phil continued, sitting down on the curb. Haley sat down next to him. "After my first date with Claire, I was so afraid to call her. It was an okay date, but she looked a bit disinterested, and I was afraid if I called her too soon, she'd think I was too needy and find some other guy."

"So what did you do?" Haley asked.

"I didn't have to do anything!" Phil cheered. "Claire called me. She told me just before the date that she had gotten into a big fight with Jay, and that was on the back of her mind while we were eating dinner together. She said she really enjoyed herself and wanted to make plans for a second date.

"See? We just never know what the other person in the relationship is thinking until they tell you. Now, do you like this guy?"

"Yes. Yes, I do," Haley said with a big grin.

"Well, go get him then!"

"Okay!" Haley said, trembling as she pulled out her phone. "Dad, its midnight! I'll probably wake him up if I call him now."

"Even better," Phil said. "Calling at this hour implies that you've been thinking about him all night and finally couldn't stand it and had to call him."

"But that's not exactly true," Haley said.

"Well, it was true for at least the last fifteen minutes," Phil said. "I think that's close enough." He gave Haley a roguish wink. Haley laughed and pulled up her contacts. Andy's name was near the top, right under her sister Alex.

"Okay, I'm hitting Send," Haley said. She pressed the button. "Oh my God, I'm actually calling him!" She was taking short, quick breaths.

"Relax," Phil said. "You're just asking him out on a date. You've probably done it a million times."

"Actually, guys always ask me," Haley said. She heard the line pick up. "Oh my God, he's answering," she whispered excitedly. Phil pointed at the phone and mouthed the words, "Talk to him!"

* * *

"_This was insane," Haley reflects. "My Dad is insane. I had no idea if I actually liked this guy enough not to break his heart like Alex warned me. But I had butterflies in my stomach and I was shaking, and I realized that must be a good sign. So I realized I had to go with my gut."_

* * *

"_I was so proud of her," Phil says. "She's finally grown up enough to date a nice guy who actually has a chance of treating her like the angel she is. I knew this Andy guy, and he was so fun and friendly and really treated Haley right, so I was banking on this call, both to put my mind and Claire's mind at ease."_

* * *

"Hello?" Andy asked. Haley quailed at his voice and started stuttering. "Haley?" he asked. "You there?"

"Yes, I'm here," she stammered quickly. "Is this a bad time?"

"No, it's fine," Andy said. "I couldn't sleep."

"Me neither," Haley admitted. "I was just thinking about our conversations during the wedding, and they kept going through my head, and I knew I had to finally talk to you about it."

"Really?" Andy asked. "That's crazy. I was thinking the same thing. I was just too proud to call you."

"Proud? Are you sure you don't mean scared?" Haley teased. Phil gave her a grin.

"Put it on speaker," he whispered. Haley vehemently shook her head, and Phil held his hands up in surrender.

"Ha ha, maybe I was a little scared, too," Andy admitted. "I thought about what you said, about finding a girl that's going to treat you right. I realized that you were right, but I couldn't think of any girl I knew who was treating me like that."

"I know, I know," Haley said. "But you knew it wasn't Beth, right?"

"Talking to you made me finally figure that out," Andy said. "I finally talked to her a few days ago and confronted her about not writing me enough, always ending the phone calls, all the stuff we talked about."

"She must have been pretty surprised," Haley said with a chuckle.

"Yeah, you could say she was taken a bit aback. Anyway, she said it was nothing personal, she was just really busy with Coast Guard work and she promised when her service ended she'd pay more attention to me."

"Did you believe her?"

"No, I didn't," Andy said. "The old me would have just went along with that, hoping she was telling the truth, but afraid something else would come up to keep us apart again. But I wasn't having any of that. I told her straight up I didn't believe her, that when she was in California she barely gave me the time of day, and I felt like she was taking me for granted."

"That's pretty heavy," Haley said. "Did she get mad when you said that?"

"She said I didn't understand what she was going through, that she had a lot on her mind and she couldn't always take care of my needs. I asked her wasn't that what boyfriends and girlfriends were supposed to do? I was certainly doing it for her, as much as she let me."

"What did she say?" Haley asked, her eyes open wide, her body tense and focused.

"Then she got really mad, said I was too needy and I was smothering her. Things…got a bit heated after that. We were yelling about the imbalance in the relationship and that she was going to have to step it up to make things work, and then she finally said she couldn't do that because she was seeing someone on her base."

"What?" Haley said, gasping.

"What did he say?" Phil whispered, but Haley waved him away.

"She was seeing someone else?" Haley asked, more so to keep Phil in the loop.

"Yeah. She said they had a lot more in common and she actually felt like she had some breathing room. I asked her why she didn't break things off with me, and she said it was nice to have me as a bit of a safety net, in case things with this guy didn't work out."

"What a bitch!" Haley spat. "You deserve way better than that."

"I know, I finally realized it myself. Well, I told her we were over after that and asked her not to call me again, and this time, I ended the conversation. I was relieved, confused, and sad all at the same time, and do you know who I kept thinking about?"

"I think I know," Haley said sweetly, "but tell me anyway."

"I thought about how you were exactly right," Andy explained. "I realized that you had been there for me during all our troubles with my girlfriend, and that you had my best interest in heart, and you weren't just doing it to take advantage of me."

There was silence on the phone for a little while as Haley and Andy took a chance to take it all in.

"Can I tell you something?" Andy asked. "I didn't want to bring it up during the wedding, but now that that's over, I think I need to get this off my chest."

"Sure. You can tell me anything," Haley reassured him.

"During our last phone call, I was just outside the wedding hall, hoping you'd invite me in and I could tell you something important."

"How…how important?" Haley asked, looking nervous. Phil rubbed her back, and she calmed down.

"Haley, it's…it's kind of hard to talk about. I guess I'm a little scared."

"There's nothing to be afraid of," Haley said. "Whatever you have to say, I'm not going to judge it or anything."

"Okay, then I guess it's best to just get it out there," Andy said. "I was hoping to ask you out after the wedding to dinner or something. It didn't matter where, I just wanted to make a date with you and see if my suspicions were correct."

"What suspicions?"

"That the reason you were trying to get me to end my relationship with Beth was that you wanted to take her place."

"Oh…" Haley said, now rocking back and forth on the curb.

"So?" Andy asked. "Is that correct?"

"Andy, look, I…" Haley stammered. She looked at Phil with fear in her eyes, but Phil nodded and smiled.

"Tell him how you feel," he said. "It's not going to hurt."

"Andy," Haley said, finally regaining her composure, "I'm calling you in the middle of the night after thinking about you and how you were doing. I guess…I guess I do kind of want to see where this could go."

"So you actually…?" Andy sounded like he was holding his breath.

"I don't know if I can say for certain what I'm feeling," Haley said. Phil shook his head, but Haley held up her hand, "but I want to go on a date with you. I'm interested in figuring out what's going on here."

"Okay, I'll take that," Andy said. "Oh man, Haley, you have no idea how badly I want to see you right now."

"I want to see you, too," Haley said, "but I think my mom would kill me if I try to leave the house right now."

Phil chuckled, and Haley punched him on the arm.

"That's okay," Andy said. "The fact that you want to see me is enough. Look, I'm exhausted, and I'm sure you are, too. Why don't we make our plans tomorrow after we're well rested and clear-headed?"

"Yeah, that sounds great," Haley said, breathing a sigh of relief. "I'll talk to you tomorrow."

"Okay, sounds good. So, should I call you, or…?"

"Just call when you're ready. I'll call when I'm ready, and we'll see who calls who first."

"Is it like a race?"

Haley giggled. "No, it's just, we're not going to put it all on one person to call. One of us will call, and that's all that matters."

"Sounds great," Andy said with a chuckle. "Okay, good night, Haley."

"Bye, Andy," Haley said, hanging up her phone and nearly dropping it, shaking like a leaf.

"You didn't tell him!" Phil yelled in a panic, but then he relaxed. "But you did promise a date with him, so you bought yourself some time. Now at least he knows you're interested, and he won't be up all night wondering about you. Good job, honey."

"Thanks, Dad," Haley said, pulling him into a hug. "Love you."

"Love you, too, my little comet," Phil said. Haley blushed.

"You never call me that anymore," she said.

"I just thought it seemed fitting," Phil said. "Now, let's go back to the house before your mother goes even more ballistic."

The two of them laughed as they rose from the sidewalk and back towards their house.

* * *

"_I don't think I would have done it," Haley says, leaning on Phil's shoulder, "if my dad hadn't told me to go for it."_

"_I couldn't just let this one get away," Phil explains. "Here's a guy Haley's interested that Claire won't want to murder at first sight."_

"_What was that?" Claire calls from the kitchen, coming towards the living room. "I heard my name."_

"_It's nothing, honey," Phil says with a smile. Claire rolls her eyes and returns to the kitchen._

"_That'll be a nice change," Haley says. "A boyfriend my mom actually likes."_

"_Should make things far less tense in the house," Phil analyzes._

* * *

Haley and Phil were laughing when they came back into the house. Claire was still in the hall with her bathrobe looking cross, but when she saw Haley walking back into the house without some buffed up, tattoo-riddled thug on her side, she smiled and gave her a hug.

"What did you tell him to get him to leave?" she asked. Haley looked down in shame.

"He never showed up," Phil explained.

"Oh, I'm sorry, honey," Claire said, rubbing her back. Haley pulled away from the hug.

"Really? I thought you'd be relieved," Haley said snidely.

"Well…" Claire said, "I guess there's a little of that, too."

"There's more, too," Phil said. "Tell her, Haley."

"Tell me what?" Claire asked, looking worried again.

"I have plans to make a date with Andy," Haley said, beaming.

"Oh, you do?" Claire asked. "That's…that's nice." Claire was smiling so widely that Haley knew she was feeling a huge sense of relief.

* * *

"_My husband is amazing!" Claire says, looking more relieved than I've seen her in weeks. "Not only does he talk Haley out of her boy toy, but he got her to set up a date with Andy. I knew she liked him, but for some reason things between them weren't getting off the ground. But Phil must have had a magic trick up his sleeve, because he convinced her to do the right thing for herself and give herself a chance to have a decent boyfriend for a change."_

_Claire looks out the window and sighs. "He was such a good father last night. How could I tell him he might not be hers by blood? There was no way I wanted to ruin that wonderful moment they shared, so I just had to keep my mouth shut. Again." She takes a deep breath and looks at me apologetically._

"_I have to talk to my dad or Mitchell about this."_

* * *

"Okay, now it's super late and we're all exhausted," Phil said, "so why don't we get some shut-eye and wake up tomorrow bright-eyed and bushy-tailed?"

"Sounds good to me," Haley said, kissing Phil on the cheek. "Goodnight Dad, Mom," she said, making her way upstairs. Claire and Phil slowly followed and returned to their room.

"How'd you pull that one off?" Claire asked, resting her head on Phil's shoulder as they lay in their bed.

"I knew what she really wanted," Phil said, "so I just pointed her in the right direction and she did the rest."

"Amazing," Claire said. "How can I show you how grateful I am?"

"Well…" Phil said, sneering. "There is _one_ way…"

"Hmm…" Claire said, pretending to hesitate, "well, I'm very attracted to you and also a little drunk, so why not?"

"There we go," Phil said. He kissed Claire deeply, but suddenly pulled away. "What about locking the door?"

"Phil, that'll just wake up the kids and tell them what we're doing," Claire explained. "I think we're safe for tonight."

"Whatever you say, honey," Phil said, leaning back in to kiss Claire again.

Meanwhile, Haley was in her bathroom changing back into pajamas. She came out wearing the "Haley Dunphy Moving Co." tee shirt that was much too big on her petite body. She lay in bed and tried to sleep, but she was giddy and restless.

"Did you get grounded?" Alex muttered from the other bed.

"You can't sleep, either?" Haley asked.

"Not with the way Mom was yelling. You're in deep shit."

"Actually, I'm fine," Haley explained. "I've got plans for a date."

"Really?" Alex asked, sitting up from the bed. "I thought you were sneaking out to go on a date."

"Not with that creep," Haley said, a look of disgust on her face as she sat up as well. "Dad convinced me to call Andy, and tomorrow we're going to make a date."

"You're going to go out with Andy?" Alex asked, raising an eyebrow in skepticism. In the dark, Haley didn't see this.

"Yeah," she said. "Dad made me realize that I shouldn't let him slip away, and I'm really hoping this can work."

"I hope so, too," Alex said with a sigh. "Remember what I said at the wedding. If all you're doing is using him, you're going to break his heart more than Beth ever could."

"I'm not going to do that," Haley responded. "I really like this guy, Alex. I promise."

"I hope you're right," Alex said. "Night, hussy."

"Night, nerd."

Haley and Alex settled back into their beds to try to fall asleep.

* * *

"_Alex was right," Haley says, "as much as I hate to admit it. I'm still a little scared that I don't like Andy as much as he likes me. But that's what the date is for, so we can start to figure that out." She sighs and stares at the floor. "I hope I don't make a mess of this like I did with Dylan."_

* * *

"_I was worried about her going out with Andy," Alex explains. "He's super nice, a lot of fun, totally not her type. I was wondering if she could actually see that in him, but then again, why else would she be attracted to him? He's not a model like the other guys she's been with." Alex wrings her hands and takes a breath._

"_He's a really good guy," she says with a smile. "I just hope Haley can see that. I hope she doesn't break his heart."_

* * *

End of Chapter 03


	4. There's Something I Have to Tell You

**The Illegitimate Daughter**

by: cooopercrisp

Chapter 04: "Phil, There's Something I Have to Tell You…"

* * *

"Mitchell, I need to see you and Dad alone, in private," Claire said over the cell phone. Phil was at work and the kids were at school, so Claire knew she had to take advantage of her privacy now so she could work this out.

"Claire, is this about that Haley situation?" Mitchell asked, trying not to sound peeved. He was driving to the courthouse to attend a hearing.

"Yes, Mitchell, it is," Claire said, holding her forehead and tightening her lip. "The guilt is literally eating me alive and I don't know what to do."

* * *

"_If the guilt were 'literally' eating you alive," Mitchell says with a groan, "you would 'literally' die from the inside out." He sighs, rubbing the bridge of his nose with his thumb and pointer finger. "It's not that I don't feel bad for her. I do. But the solution is simple, if also difficult: tell Phil the truth. You wouldn't have to feel guilty anymore, and you could work through this like adults, and…" He pauses for thought. "Well, the marriage might not survive, and the family would be torn apart, and the kids might resent their mother." He takes a deep breath. "Well, maybe I can see where she's coming from now. Wish I had known that talking to her in the car…"_

* * *

"Claire, look, I just got back from my honeymoon, Lily's home from school, and work is a nightmare with all the backlog from my time off. Now is really not a good time to discuss something this serious. If you want to talk to Dad—who, unlike me, didn't just find out about this—be my guest, but I can't deal with this right now."

"Mitchell, wait!" Claire cried, but the phone had already hung up. Claire groaned and slammed her phone down on the counter. She leaned on the counter and took a deep breath.

* * *

"_I couldn't believe my brother!" Claire says haughtily. "I mean, I know we haven't been the best siblings since Mom and Dad got their divorce, but if he doesn't help me, I might have to go through a divorce myself!" Claire bit down on her fingers. "I really could have used my little brother today, but it looked like I'd have to do without."_

* * *

Claire picked up the cell phone and dialed it again. It rang a few times, but Jay finally answered.

"This about Haley?" Jay asked immediately.

Claire sighed. "It's like you can read my mind."

"I'm your father," he said with a smirk. "You think I don't know when my daughter needs me?"

Claire breathed a sigh of relief. "I guess you're pretty good at that."

"Of course I am. Now look. I'm at the office, so I really can't talk now, but I get off at five. If you can get out of the house, we'll take a drive, just you and me. Remember that hilltop off the interstate we always used to go?"

Claire remembered it fondly. It was where she had first told Jay her doubts about her baby's father, and it only seemed fitting to work out the solution there two decades later.

"The one with the giant sycamore tree?" Claire asked. "Yes, I do remember."

"We'll sit under those tree branches like we always did," Jay promised, "and we'll work this thing out. You call Mitchell yet?"

"He was just being an asshole about it," Claire griped. "It's as if his 'super important life' means more to him than anyone else's. You know, this riff that came between us when you and Mom divorced, I don't think it ever totally went away."

"I can see that," Jay said. "I'll talk to Mitchell. He usually gets out of court at four, right?"

"I think so," Claire said, smiling widely, even though Jay couldn't see it.

"Don't worry. I know how to knock some sense into your little brother. Pick you up around five-fifteen?"

"That would be fine, but the kids are going to be home way before then. How do I get out of making dinner?"

"Tell them you'll order some take-out and that you'll get dinner with me and Mitchell. Hell, it won't even be lying. We could easily do that after we talk. Sound good?"

Claire felt overwhelmed with affection for her father. "Sounds great, Dad."

"Okay, then. See you at five-fifteen. Love you, Claire Bear."

"Dad, it's a little embarrassing," Claire said, blushing slightly.

"'Love you, too, Dad,'" Jay said with a smirk. Claire stammered a bit, but Jay had already hung up.

* * *

"_My dad was a lifesaver," Claire reflects, looking relieved and even happy. "I'm not sure what's got him to be so concerned about me and supportive. He reacted badly when I first told him this twenty years ago, and the ride home was definitely awkward." Claire looks around, as if taking in her living room for the first time. "I know I shouldn't question it, but I wonder what brought on this change. Was it Gloria? Manny? Little Joe? Maybe having a second chance at a family made him realize how badly his first chance went, and he's making up for all those years, all those sad, sad years…" Claire looks ready to cry and self-conscious about being in front of me. "Excuse me," she says, walking briskly out of the room, but I can hear a small sniffle from the hallway as she leaves._

* * *

"Mitchell, it's Dad," Jay said over the phone. "You're not picking up, so I know you must be in court or at a meeting or something. Whatever it is, call me back as soon as you get this. It's important. Thanks, bye." He hung up the phone and sighed tensely.

* * *

"_I know Mitchell's busy," Jay explains, "but he's becoming as much of a workaholic as I used to be. If he doesn't watch it, I'm afraid he'll start smoking and drinking like me, too. I mean, I finally quit the smoking after I left DeDe, except for the occasional cigar, and the drinking…well, I'm still working on that. I love that kid to death, but if he doesn't wise up real soon, he'll become the kind of father I was, and that kind of father is not the good kind."_

* * *

Mitchell reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone, as he always did once he left the courtroom. When he saw the missed call from Jay, he rolled his eyes and shoved the phone back in his pocket.

* * *

"_I knew exactly why Dad was calling," Mitchell explains. "Claire was upset that I wasn't being supportive to her, and she told on me." He suddenly looks sad. "I don't mean it like that. It's just…it's uncomfortable for me. Ever since I found out, it's been bothering me. Can't sleep at night without a scotch—which I know, I'm gay, but I can still drink manly drinks—and I've just been burying myself in work since coming back from the honeymoon._

"_Cam knew immediately something was bothering me," he continues, "but given the nature of the issue, I knew I couldn't tell him anything."_

* * *

"Mitchell, you're so tense lately," Cam said one night as Mitchell sat on the bed with a glass of scotch that was about half full. "And you know I'm not a big fan of the ol' moonshine." He put his hands on Mitchell's shoulders and began rubbing them. "Tell me what's going on. You know I'm here for you."

Mitchell sighed and turned his head to look at Cam, who really did look concerned. _Is it that obvious?_ Mitchell wondered.

"Work just sucks right now," Mitchell lied. "I've got a huge backlog of cases from my time off. Paperwork, hearings, clients upset over the delays, it's just a lot to deal with."

Cam frowned, clearly dissatisfied with that answer. "Okay, Mitchell. It's fine if you don't want to talk about it. Newly married husbands, and we're already keeping secrets!" He lifted himself off the bed and out of the room. Mitchell swore under his breath and desperately followed him.

"Okay, so it's not all work!" Mitchell called after him. Cam stopped and turned around, his arms crossed, sulking. "It's a family thing. _My_ family," Mitchell explained, seeing that Cam was about to interject. "It's something we only want to discuss with a few people, and I'm sorry, Cam, but I can't tell you what it is yet. Hopefully we can work this out, and then I'll explain everything. Until then, you're just going to have to trust me."

Cam wanted to keep sulking, but looking into Mitchell's eyes, he knew his husband was saying everything he could. "You know I can't stay mad at you," Cam gushed, coming over to Mitchell and pecking him on the lips. "I'll leave you alone about it, on one condition."

"What's that?" Mitchell asked, fighting the urge to roll his eyes.

"Lay off the scotch," he said sternly. "We don't want that kind of booze lying around the house. What if Lily got into it?"

Mitchell sighed but gave Cam a smile. "Okay. Next chance I get, I'll take it over to Dad's. He'll heckle me for drinking out of my league, but it's the brand he likes and he'll gladly take it off my hands."

"Sure, give it to your alcoholic father," Cam jibed. Mitchell groaned and Cam put a hand on his shoulder. "Kidding!" he said.

"No, you have a point," Mitchell said. "I mean, he never got drunk drunk, but that's immediately where he went after coming home from work. Mom hated it, but I think that only encouraged him."

"Your dad's a complicated man," Cam said. "As long as he didn't hurt you or Claire, I'm not worried about his drinking."

"Define 'hurt,'" Mitchell said, his voice cracking a bit. Cam sighed and gave his husband a warm hug.

"Poor choice of words," Cam said. "But you and your father are on good terms now, and I hope it can stay that way."

"I hope so, too," Mitchell said, going to the kitchen and dumping the rest of his glass of scotch down the sink. "Let's just go to sleep. I need a clear head for tomorrow; I've got three hearings to attend."

"Sounds good to me, partner," Cam said. He followed Mitchell into bed. Mitchell laid on his left side and closed his eyes. Cam kissed him delicately on the neck. Mitchell smiled but turned over to Cam.

"Now's not really a great time for that," Mitchell explained. "I'm sorry."

"That's fine," Cam said, only looking a little disappointed. "There was at least plenty of that on the honeymoon."

"There'll be plenty more where that came from, too, once work lightens up and this family situation gets under control," Mitchell promised, kissing Cam softly on the lips.

"Looking forward to it," Cam said with a wink. The two of them tucked in and shut their eyes, far more ready to sleep than they had been.

* * *

"_Sex is really awkward for a gay man," Cam explains, taking a deep breath and wringing his hands. "First, you have to realize that that's actually what you want, and there's a whole lot of hell to go through when you're trying to figure __**that**__ out. Then, if you have a history with women—you know, before you knew—you haven't really gotten to know what sex is supposed to feel like, and you can't help but compare your two experiences. Mitchell and I, of course, dated plenty of women before we knew. Mitchell even had that fling with his old high school girlfriend that led to that whole baby scare, and that was __**after**__ he knew he was gay." Cam sighs, breathing deeply, appearing to be trying to clear his mind. "The honeymoon was great, but when we came back to L.A., he started to shut me out. Knowing about this family thing makes me feel a little bit better about it, but it's still concerning."_

* * *

"_Cam…" Mitchell says, thinking hard. "I recognize I've been giving him the cold shoulder since the honeymoon. I felt bad about it, but I knew I had to deal with it. So when I saw that Dad called during my hearing, I knew I had to start dealing with this Claire/Haley thing so I could focus on my marriage instead of my sister's." Mitchell looks around his room and sighs._

"_I don't know, I'm feeling a bit resentful about all this," he admits. "Every time something good happens to me, Claire somehow finds a way to turn the attention on herself. She's been doing that for as long as I can remember. I know I shouldn't be feeling this way. This is really painful for her. It's just…okay, she's had twenty years to straighten this out, and she picks __**my**__ wedding to finally start dealing with it?" Mitchell buries his head in his hands and groans._

"_God, I'm a terrible brother," he says, not lifting his head up. "I really should be there for Claire and not put my shit on top of it. She's going through enough as it is, and she doesn't need a jealous younger brother mucking up the works." He lifts his head and smiles sadly._

* * *

"Hey, Dad," Mitchell said, calling him from the car.

"There you are," Jay said, chuckling. "Claire told me about your recent…phone call, and she hopes you reconsider and join us up on the hill tonight."

"She couldn't tell me that herself?"

"I told her I'd call, so if anything, be mad at me," Jay replied. "Look, I know you and Claire are a little at odds. Totally my fault, by the way. I'm really sorry about that."

"It's not you, Dad," Mitchell said with a sigh. "That's on us, and it's up to us to figure it out."

"Well, now would be a great time to start," Jay suggested. "She really needs her brother right now, and it would mean a lot to her if you came so we could discuss this."

"I know, Dad, I know," Mitchell said. He caught the tension in his voice and tried to relax. "I'll be there. Don't worry. Cam and I didn't have plans for dinner anyway. We were probably just going to order pizza, honestly. He's a little tired of cooking right now."

"Perfect!" Jay said jovially. "Get your car home. I'll pick you up once I get out at five; you're on your way to Claire's, and she'll be happy to see you right away."

"Sounds good, Dad. Looking forward to it."

Jay chuckled. "Okay, have a good rest of the day at work, son."

"Thanks, Dad. Bye."

"Okay, bye."

* * *

"_This is going to sound really silly," Mitchell tells me, "but I don't remember the last time Dad's said 'I love you' to me. I know he's capable; I've heard him say it to Claire. But with me…I don't know, he seems a bit uncomfortable."_

"_I might be a little less…affectionate towards Mitchell than I am to Claire," Jay confirms. "And before you ask, it's not the gay thing. He's just always been a little tenser around me, always seemed to be more of a Mama's boy… That's not how I meant to put it." He sighs and rubs his forehead. "It's not that I don't love him. I just feel a lump in my throat when I go to say it, and then I chicken out and settle with 'bye, son,' or 'see you, champ.' It's probably a problem, but Mitchell hasn't said anything to me about it, so…" He rubs the back of his head and smiles nervously._

* * *

Jay pulled up to Cam and Mitchell's house and honked on the horn. He waited a moment before his redheaded son hustled out of the house and to his car. He climbed into the passenger seat in the front and smiled awkwardly at his father.

"It's a little warm for khakis, isn't it?" Jay asked. Mitchell rolled his eyes.

"My legs are too thin to look good in shorts," he replied.

"Okay, no problem," Jay said, pulling away from the curb and on the way to Claire's house. "Hope you like grass stains," he said with a chuckle.

"Not a problem. I have to go to the cleaners this weekend anyway," Mitchell said flatly.

Jay huffed and turned his eyes to the road. Mitchell stared out the window and watched the houses pass by.

"So how's work?" Jay asked, hands clenching the steering wheel a bit tightly.

"Fine," Mitchell replied, not turning from the window.

"Got any big cases?" Jay asked curtly.

"Nothing too important," Mitchell responded. "A few ordinance violations, but there's a lot of work anyway. I'm preparing for a major lawsuit over pollution at the power plant. Not looking forward to that one. They've got a whole team of sharks ready to tear me to shreds, so it's been a lot of work trying to keep up."

"That really bites," Jay said, still not looking away from the road. "Still, everyone's got to have a shot in court."

"I guess," Mitchell said.

* * *

"_I had no idea how we would be able to help Claire," Mitchell reflects, "not the way Dad and I were 'getting along.' I don't know what happened! His toast was so touching at the ceremony, and he can't hold a fucking conversation with me in the car." He looks embarrassed, rubbing his beard. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't be swearing so much, especially with Lily at home. I've just been really stressed lately, and it slips out once in a while."_

* * *

"_God," Jay gripes, "you know, I love Mitchell, but we just can't really connect. It was even a problem before he came out to the family, but that certainly didn't help make things easier. Not that I'm a homophobe," he adds, shaking his hands in front of him. "No, I might be a bit uncomfortable around it, but I'm not about to say they're going to hell for it. It's just…he was my first boy. I was going to teach him to throw a baseball, ride a bike, go fishing. But work got in the way, and when I did get a chance to spend time with him, he didn't want to do any of those boy things. It was hard for me to relate, and it's still hard now."_

* * *

They spent the next few minutes in silence, thinking to themselves about Claire's situation. Jay cleared his throat at one point, and Mitchell looked towards him, expecting him to start talking to him. Jay said nothing, so Mitchell went back to looking out the window. Finally, he groaned and faced his father.

"This is ridiculous," he griped. Jay's brow furrowed.

"What's up?"

"What are we supposed to do to help Claire? We haven't figured out what we want to say."

"Oh, right," Jay said, nodding his head. "Well, what do you want to tell her?"

"What I told her at the wedding," Mitchell replied. "Tell Phil the truth."

"You know, that's a lot harder than it sounds."

"I know, I know," Mitchell said, wiping his forehead. "But, as you know, I'm a lawyer, and we care about the truth, the whole truth and nothing—"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, I've seen enough 'Law and Order,'" Jay snipped. Mitchell glared at him, but Jay turned and gave him a smirk. "Kidding. I get your point. I actually want Claire to fess up, too."

"Well, how are we going to convince her?" Mitchell asked.

"Good question," Jay remarked. He then sighed. "Okay, I'll be serious. Claire may have been a bit of a wild child back when this whole thing happened, but she's got a good head on her shoulders now, so I think she'll want to fess up and clear her conscience. All we should have to do is get her to see that she really wants to do the right thing."

"I'm not sure, Dad," Mitchell replied. "Claire's really stubborn. If she's held onto this thing for this long, it's going to be tough to get her to all of a sudden confess."

"Well, clearly it's been on her mind," Jay reasoned, "so since she's already thinking about it, it might be easier to convince her to get it off her chest."

"Well, we won't find out until we start talking to her," Mitchell concluded. "I guess we'll just have to wing it, see what she says and try to respond in a way that gets to her."

"Yeah, I guess," Jay agreed.

* * *

"_Not sure how Mitchell felt," Jay reflects, "but I thought this was a long shot. How were we going to get Claire to reveal the darkest secret of her life? No way was it going to be easy, and I hoped Mitchell knew what he was in for."_

* * *

"_We finally pulled up to Claire's house," Mitchell says, "and I felt a jumble of nerves. I had barely had time to process this myself, and now I had to convince her to do something I was positive she wasn't ready to do." Mitchell cracks his jaw. "I don't think I was ready to discuss this, and I'm sure Claire wasn't going to be comfortable with it either. But it was finally time for me to stop acting so petty and start acting like a supportive brother."_

* * *

Claire was looking out the window and saw Jay's car pull up to the curb.

"Okay, Phil, kids!" she called out into the kitchen. They came out to the hall. "My dad's here, so you know what's going on. Phil's ordering Chinese for the four of you. Make sure you clean up after yourselves and save your leftovers. I don't want to come home to half-full boxes of smelly chicken and fried rice. Okay?"

"Don't worry, honey," Phil said, kissing her on the cheek. "Papa Bear's got this."

"All right, Phil," Claire said with a smile. Jay honked his horn.

"Coming, Dad," Claire muttered. "Bye, Phil. Bye, kids. Love you guys."

"Love you, too," the four of them said as Claire walked out the door. She hustled over to the car, afraid one of them would try to stop her for some last minute issue. She made it to the car safely and opened the side door, taking a seat in the back.

"Hmm…" Jay hummed, thinking. "Mitchell, can you and Claire switch seats?"

Mitchell was going to roll his eyes, but realized Jay wanted to be right next to his daughter.

"Sure, Dad," Mitchell said. He climbed out of the car and held the door open for Claire, who took the front seat. Mitchell shut the door and climbed into the back. The three of them buckled in, they made their way towards the interstate.

"Okay, Claire, here's the thing," Jay started, but Claire held up a hand to get him to stop.

"Let's wait 'til we get to the hill," she requested.

"Claire," Mitchell said with a sigh, "I really don't think—"

"That's fine," Jay interceded with a smile. "We'll wait to sit under the sycamore tree before we start talking about this. Okay, Mitchell?"

"Sure, Dad."

There was some silence until Jay merged onto the interstate. The hill was only two exits away, but there was some serious traffic congesting the roads.

"Damn it," Jay muttered. "Knew I shouldn't have taken the freeway during rush hour."

"It's okay, Dad," Claire reassured him, "it's moving."

"I could walk faster than this," Jay griped.

The three of them sat in silence again, crawling along the freeway at a slow but steady pace. Fortunately for them, the exits were close together, given how close they were to Los Angeles. It took maybe twenty minutes to get off the freeway, and it was only a couple minutes more to find the hill.

* * *

"_When we got to the hill," Claire explains, "something looked wrong. I couldn't see the top branches of the sycamore tree. Maybe they had fallen off in a storm, maybe the top branches had been cut off, but I definitely remember being able to see the tree twenty years ago, and now I couldn't."_

* * *

"_We got up to the top of the hill," Jay tells me, "and we saw that the tree was completely gone. Nothing but grass and the smoggy L.A. sky. Not exactly the serene place I wanted to have this conversation, but I guess we had to make do."_

* * *

"Dad, the tree's gone," Claire said sorrowfully. Mitchell rubbed her back, but Jay looked irked.

"Why the hell would they take down that tree?" he grumbled. "That tree was beautiful."

"Maybe because Cam wasn't perched on top of it in his 'Cats' costume," Mitchell suggested, reflecting on one of their more interesting stories.

"Whatever, it's fine," Claire said haughtily. "We'll just sit here, where we can see the houses."

The three Pritchetts sat down on the very top of the hill, looking at the seemingly endless rows of houses making up the L.A. suburbs. The skyline of Los Angeles could be seen in the distance, but the smog was obscuring it.

"Okay, before you two start laying into me," Claire said defensively, "I just want to say that it's been really hard living with this secret, and I don't think you two understand how overwhelming the guilt has been."

"Claire, I told you this already," Mitchell responded. "I had a dark secret, too. But when I finally came out of the closet, all that guilt went away. Yes, there was some heartache to be had, as I'm sure you remember."

"Especially from me," Jay said abashedly.

Mitchell sighed. "Yes, especially from Dad. But the most important thing was I was finally free to live my life without this overwhelming secret haunting me day in and day out."

"I get that, Mitchell, I really do," Claire responded, pushing her bangs behind her ears, "but your secret didn't have the potential to ruin a marriage. This isn't just about me feeling guilty. I have a family to protect, a family that loves me, a family that might not forgive me for building it on a lie."

"Look at it this way," Jay suggested, reaching out and putting a hand on Claire's shoulder. "If Phil really loves you, and God I know he does, he'll find a way to forgive you."

"Yeah, right," Claire snapped.

"No, no, listen. Forget how I feel about the man, there's no doubt in my mind that he's absolutely crazy about you, and he loves you now as much as he did when you first met, maybe even more so now. If you can tell the truth, and he finds it in his heart to stick by you, your marriage is absolutely sure to survive everything. You have a lot to gain taking this risk."

"Sure, Dad," Claire acknowledged, "but what do I have to lose? My whole family might walk out on me. Hell, they might throw me out of the house while Phil readies the divorce papers."

"Now, Claire, we've got a guy here who knows something about divorce," Jay said jocularly. "Yeah, splitting off from DeDe was hell for a while, and it put you and Mitchell at odds. But we've managed to work out our issues and stay together as a family. I'm a lot closer to my grandkids than most granddads are, divorced or otherwise, and a lot closer to my kids than most divorced dads. Phil? Who knows, maybe you won't be able to reconcile with him. But you're not going to lose those kids. Haley, Alex, Luke, they'll love you no matter what."

"Sure, Dad," Claire said, "because Mitchell and I _love_ Mom so much. I mean, what was she doing? Sleeping around with some guys. Big deal, that happens all the time."

"I wouldn't say that," Jay warned her. "That's not exactly a small thing."

"Well, compare that to cheating on your future husband, getting pregnant, and not knowing if it's his child but pretending that it is. It's the whole reason we married, Dad!"

"Hold on, Claire," Mitchell interjected. "What do you mean 'the whole reason?' Don't you love Phil? Didn't that factor in to your decision to marry him?"

"Well, yeah, of course," Claire said with an exasperated smile. "Of course I love Phil."

* * *

"_Can I really say that?" Claire asks in retrospect. "I mean, I wasn't crazy about Phil like he was with me. He wasn't enough to stop me dating James…er, Professor Cooke, at least until the pregnancy scare. That rushed Phil and I into marriage, and over the years I sort of learned to love him." Claire gasps, shaking her head. "How can I even __**say**__ that? That's terrible. Of course I love my husband. Of course I do…" She stares me down and starts whispering. "But sometimes, there's this little voice deep down that says 'what if?' What if Phil and I hadn't been rushed into getting married? Would we have lasted? Would I have moved on and found someone else? It makes me wonder, did I end up settling? God, I'm such a bitch." Claire looks as though she's on the verge of tears. "What am I __**doing**__…?"_

* * *

"Claire, no one doubts that you love Phil," Mitchell assured her. "But we understand the situation. Maybe you got married before you were ready. Maybe you wondered if he was the right guy or if he was the guy you had to marry because he was the father of your child. _If_ he's the father of your child," he added, recalling the dilemma. "Claire, there's one thing that doesn't make sense to me. Why didn't you get a paternity test? I mean, that would require you had to blow this whole thing open as soon as it happened, but you would have known for sure and you wouldn't have had to hold onto this secret for all these years."

"I know exactly how to answer that," Claire said sternly, taking Mitchell a bit aback. "James…Professor Cooke, he was intriguing, exciting. I felt like I was being swept off my feet. But what we were doing was reckless and unethical. Could you imagine what would have happened if I was carrying his baby? He would have been fired, I might have gotten kicked out of school, and I would have had to raise a child with a man who, despite my feelings towards him, I did not want to be the father of my child.

"Phil was different. Kind, affectionate, a good head on his shoulders. He had all the makings of a good father, and I realized that that's who I wanted to raise my baby, _our_ baby, even if it wasn't his by blood. I just couldn't risk finding out that maybe Professor Cooke was the father, or I would have ended up raising a baby with a man I did not trust with kids.

"So of course I said it was Phil's, and everything else followed. I didn't mean for the last-minute elopement. I didn't mean to hold onto this lie for all these years. So I buried it, I locked it away in a little box inside my head and hoped to God it would never come out."

The air seemed still as Claire finished speaking. She looked back and forth at Mitchell and Jay, who were looking at her as if seeing her for the first time.

* * *

"_God, I had no idea," Mitchell says, "but it makes sense to me now. I knew who Professor Cooke was, and I could see why Claire was enamored with him, but he screamed bad father to me. Phil, on the other hand, looked like great father material, at least compared to Cooke. But one thing still didn't make sense."_

* * *

"Claire, why didn't you just tell Phil the story?" Mitchell asked. "You could have told him that you made a mistake, you were seeing two guys at once, and either of them might be the father."

"Yeah, great," Claire jibed, "_that_ would have blown over well."

"Let me finish," Mitchell requested. "But what if you told Phil you hated this other guy, didn't trust him to raise your baby, and that you trusted Phil with your child far more than you would anyone else. Don't you think that might have touched him, even just a little bit? Most fathers don't have a choice, they raise the kids they helped create. But you were giving Phil a choice to love your daughter, not because he was necessarily her father by blood, but because he loved you and loved that little baby kicking inside of you. Don't you think that might have touched him, even a little bit, maybe enough for him to forgive you?"

* * *

"_Mitchell almost had a point," Claire says, "but hindsight's always twenty-twenty. I can't go back and change the decision I made, so while I know he and Dad were trying to help, they weren't addressing the actual problem, and I had to remind them of that."_

* * *

"Mitchell," Claire said, "that's touching and all, but that doesn't help me in the here and now. Right now, I know why you guys are here. You're trying to convince me to confess to Phil, and I'm not sure if I'm ready to do it."

"Okay, Claire, come on now," Jay said gruffly. "You've pulled the wool over his eyes for twenty years. You know it's got to stop at some point. If you're worried about what the kids will think, don't tell them right away. Work it out with Phil, and then decide if you want to explain to your kids, especially Haley."

* * *

"_Haley…" Claire reflects. "I can't even imagine how she'll feel if she finds out. So, Jay had a point. It was best not to get the kids involved before they were ready. So now that we were focused on telling just one person instead of four, the decision was starting to become at least a little easier."_

* * *

"Okay, okay," Claire said. "I know Phil deserves the truth, even if the kids aren't ready to hear it yet. And I agree, I think it's time to finally tell him and put this behind me, behind us. But what do I say?"

"Claire," Jay said, patting her on the back. "You've been with your husband twenty years. You know how to communicate, far better than your parents did. You'll know what to do when the time comes."

"That's not very helpful," Claire said honestly.

"What about what I said?" Mitchell asked. "About how you trusted Phil as a father and didn't want this other sleaze to even have a chance to claim your son as his own. I know, it's not perfect, but it at least explains the situation somewhat and shows that you trust Phil as a father and as a husband. I'll admit, it still might not blow over well, but with time, hopefully the reasons behind your decision will make sense to him, and he'll find a way to forgive you."

"God, Mitchell, I don't know…" Claire moaned.

* * *

"_I'll admit, I was feeling a little ambushed," Claire explains. "My father and my brother, both on my back to do something I've been avoiding for so long. It was frightening. But then my dad said something that made me change my entire outlook."_

* * *

"Claire, I'm going to tell you something about my own father," Jay said, and Claire and Mitchell locked eyes on him, jaw gaping. "He…wasn't exactly the most sensitive type. Quite the opposite, actually, I've got scars on my back to prove it. He was the one that pushed me into Vietnam with me kicking and screaming, begging not to enlist. Once the draft got you, though, you didn't have a choice.

"So I'm in 'Nam and our platoon gets ambushed by the Cong. I made it out with a few scratches on my shoulder, but our medic, Paulie, he got shot in the stomach. We did everything we could to stop the bleeding, get him to the med camp, but he died before we could reach it in time. Thank God that was the worst thing that happened there.

"So, when my service is over and I return to the States, I'm driving home hoping for a 'welcome home, son,' or an 'I'm proud of you' from my dad. Instead he bitched me out about how I should have saved Paulie's life, how he didn't raise a son that would leave a man behind. I told him we did everything we could, and he punched me square in the jaw and told me I was a disgusting excuse for a son.

"Mom was screaming after me and slapping Dad in the chest as I left. I went down to the bar to order a stiff drink, and I met a woman there who would end up being your mother, but that's not the point of the story.

"My point is, my biological father was a complete asshole, and you and Phil have such a great family in comparison, and you can't let your past mistakes ruin what has become a beautiful family."

* * *

"_I never talk about my father," Jay explains. "Never. He was never a part of my kids' lives. They've met him once or twice, but they don't really know who Grandpa Luke is, and I made sure it stayed that way. So when I gave Claire that little bit of information, I hoped it would get her to see how lucky she is to have a wonderful father raising her children, and that she could share that gratitude with Phil, even if she took it for granted in the past."_

* * *

Claire was almost in tears as Jay wrapped up his story. Mitchell sighed and looked off at the buildings in the distance.

"Could you come with me and tell Phil that story?" Claire asked tentatively.

Jay scowled. "No way in hell am I telling Phil anything about my father, and no way I want you to mention it to anyone. Just tell him how lucky you are to have such a wonderful man in your life, how stupid you were not to see it sooner, and that you promise to remain his faithful wife as you always have since you two have been married. And if that doesn't get through his thick skull, then you can give me a call." He winked at Claire. Claire chuckled heartily, strangely elated and feeling relieved. Mitchell continued to stare off in the distance.

"Thanks, Dad," Claire said, hugging Jay. "I'm ready enough to tell Phil now, I think. No guarantees though."

"Just buck up and do it, kid," Jay said, "and you'll take whatever comes from it. You're a tough girl, and you've got all the support in the world if things turn south.

"Okay!" he called, mainly for Mitchell's sake, who appeared to have spaced out. "We're going out to eat, Claire's choice. We're going to forget all about this conversation, have a good time, and then Claire can take care of her business tonight, or whenever she feels comfortable."

"No, no," Claire said. "It should be tonight. I can't bear to hold onto it any longer."

"As long as you're ready," Jay said. "Mitchell?"

"Hmm? Oh, sorry," he said, lifting himself off the grass. "Whenever it feels right, Claire. You'll know when it's time."

"Thank you, Mitchell," Claire said. "If I don't do it tonight, I'm afraid I'll never do it, so wish me luck."

"You sure you can handle this dinner?" Mitchell asked. "You look antsy, like you want to tell him right this minute."

"Maybe too antsy," Claire reasoned. "It might be better to let the idea settle over a good meal before going back home and talking to Phil."

"Fair enough," Jay said. "Now, let's go! Traffic should've eased up by now, so it won't be long 'til we find some good grub."

The three Pritchetts made their way down the hill and back towards their car.

* * *

"_I never knew anything about my grandfather," Mitchell says, "and I'm glad I didn't. He sounded like a complete asshole. I have no idea how he would have reacted to having a gay grandson. He had passed away before I came out, and I guess I'm lucky it happened that way so it didn't cause a huge fight in the family. Dad's reaction was bad enough as it is, I can't imagine how Grandpa Luke would've dealt with it."_

* * *

"_Dinner was delicious," Claire said, "and I took that as a good sign. Still, when Jay dropped me off, it was late and the kids were in bed, so there was nothing left to do but join Phil in the bedroom and let the bomb drop. Now that the moment was on me, my heart was pounding, and my mind was screaming for me to run out of the house and never see him again. I realized that was crazy, took a deep breath, and entered the room."_

* * *

"Claire! There you are," Phil said, giving her a soft kiss. He was already dressed for bed. Claire quickly found her nightgown and changed clothes. The two of them tucked under the covers, facing each other. In the dark, Phil didn't notice the look of fear on Claire's face.

"How was dinner?" Phil asked.

"Oh, good, good," Claire muttered halfheartedly. It was her tone of voice that caught Phil's attention.

"Did something happen?" Phil asked. Claire nodded, and tears were already starting to fall.

"What happened, babe?" he asked. "It was just dinner with your folks. Did you have a blowout or something?"

"No, Phil, this is…this is worse," Claire said. _God Claire, don't drag it out like this!_ she screamed at herself.

"How bad is it?" Phil asked, his voice betraying a level of panic Claire rarely heard. It only made her feel more upset.

"Phil, there's something I have to tell you…"

"I kind of got that already. What is it?"

"It happened a long time ago, but I want you to know that I love you and I always will—"

"Now I get it. You're cheating on me," Phil said sourly. "Great! That's just great! I knew you'd get bored with me and go off to find some excitement with some other guy."

"Phil, be quiet! You'll wake the kids!" Claire whispered harshly. "And it's not what you think. This was before we were married, and I never saw the scumbag since."

* * *

"_That was a bit untrue, given that college reunion," Claire explains, "but I didn't want to confuse Phil any worse than he already was. And now I was making it a huge deal and I just wanted to say it so it would be out there and Phil would stop panicking wondering what it was."_

* * *

"Okay, okay," Phil said, beginning to calm down. "So you weren't sure about us, you were messing around with some other guy, maybe experimenting, and you chose me and kicked that guy to the curb. I guess," he took a deep breath, "that's not really okay, but it could be worse."

Claire cringed. "It is worse."

"What?" Phil shouted. Claire shushed him quickly. "Sorry. What?" he asked more softly. "Claire, you're freaking me out. Can you just tell me what you have to say so we can deal with this?"

"Okay, okay!" Claire snipped. "We were having sex while I was having sex with you—"

"Oh my God."

"—and there was some overlap right around the time I got pregnant for the first time."

Phil felt a lead weight drop in his stomach. "So you're saying—"

"Yes, I'm saying this," Claire said, ready to finally rip off that Band Aid. "There's a possibility that you're not Haley's biological father."

* * *

End of Chapter 04


	5. Fallout

**The Illegitimate Daughter**

by: cooopercrisp

Chapter 05: Fallout

* * *

"_His eyes stopped glimmering," Claire recalls, looking fitful. "That was the scariest part of how that all started. It was like he totally disconnected from his happy, cheery self. I mean, obviously I understand why, but I didn't expect he would react like that…"_

* * *

"What did you say?" Phil asked with a small smile on his face and a look of confusion in his eyes. Claire saw the spark go out. She felt nauseous.

"I said…" she began, clearing her throat, "I said Haley might…might not be your daughter." She muttered the end of the sentence.

"Might not be my daughter…might not be my…" Phil's eyebrows furrowed, but he still had that small smile on his face. "Well, that's odd. Why would that be? It was just us going out when it happened, right?"

"Um…" Claire stammered, her hands shaking. "That might not be completely correct."

"So you were cheating on me," Phil said in a monotone voice. The smile was beginning to fade.

* * *

"_This isn't how I planned it at all," Claire explains. "I should've known better."_

* * *

"It's hard to explain," Claire said. "It wasn't exactly fair of me to do this, but—"

"Who is he?" Phil asked, his tone growing darker. Claire's lower lip was quivering.

"You know Phil, he's not necessarily Haley's father. It really could go either way."

"So you were doing the deed with me and this other guy at the same time?" Phil's flat expression was darkening into a scowl.

* * *

"_Swear to God, I thought I could see steam coming out of his ears," Claire recalls. "I never thought I would be terrified of Phil. I was wrong."_

* * *

"Well, if we're going to be technical, yes, but—"

"If we're going to be technical?" Phil growled. "Claire, you were sleeping around so much, you don't even know if I'm Haley's—" He suddenly choked up and looked like he almost might start crying, but he bit his lower lip and stared darkly at his wife.

"Phil, I…I'm really sorry," Claire sputtered. "I never meant for this to happen. It's just…I was really confused about what I wanted."

"You're not making it better, Claire!" Phil bellowed, standing quickly and pacing around the room, rubbing his temple. Claire reached out desperately to try to bring him back into the bed, but he was out of reach.

"Phil, I know this is bad, this is really bad, but if you just let me explain—"

"There's nothing to explain, Claire," Phil grumbled. "I just want to know one thing. Who was he?"

"That's neither here nor there, you know I always wanted you to be the father of my—"

"_Who is he?_" Phil shouted. He balled his hand in a fist and flailed it, but then dropped his arm down to his side.

"Phil, I can't even begin to tell you how sorry I am."

"You're not answering the question," Phil growled. "If I'm not Haley's father, I want to know who is."

"I never said you weren't Haley's father," Claire snapped, now rising from the bed as well. "I said you _might_ not be her father. There's still a pretty good chance that—"

"_Pretty good?_" Phil shouted. "Up until now, I thought—no, I knew that I was Haley's father. And after twenty years—Jesus, twenty years—twenty years you just drop this on me? Is this some kind of joke? Am I dreaming?"

"No, Phil, you're not dreaming and I'm not joking," Claire said, reaching out for him again, but pulling her arm away. She looked to be on the verge of tears.

Phil pinched himself in the arm and grimaced. "You're right! Not dreaming! Oh my God…Claire…I don't believe this!"

"Phil, could you lower your voice? You're going to wake the kids."

"Wake the kids, wake the kids!" he mocked, holding his arms out wide, and then crossing them in front of his chest. "Who's kids are they, Claire? Does Alex have some mystery man for a father? How about Luke? Are they all the same person or do we have three different baby daddies running around out there?"

"Phil, come on, you know Alex and Luke are yours."

"Do I? _Do I?_ What am I supposed to believe? The whole reason…" He suddenly howled as if in pain. "God, the whole reason I married you was because I thought I was Haley's father. Our entire marriage is based on a lie!"

"We married for far more than that reason," Claire fought back. "That just sealed the deal."

"Give me a break, Claire. I don't even know if you ever loved me! You remember how many times I proposed? When you weren't pregnant, you said no every time, every flipping time. Then the moment you knew we were having Haley you settled!"

"I did not settle and you know it!" Claire hissed.

"Let's ask Jay about that," Phil said. "He hates me—don't even lift a finger," he warned, as Claire was about to rebut, "You and I both now damn well your old man tolerates me at best! Gee, I wonder why that is. Oh, maybe it's because he thought the whole reason we got married was because of Haley. No, it has nothing to do with us loving each other or anything like that! We got hitched to take care of the baby. And now we don't even know if the baby is mine. What the…frig!" Phil grimaced and buried his head in his hands. Claire went over to massage his shoulders, but he batted her arms away. "Don't touch me!"

They both heard stirring from a bedroom down the hall, but they thought nothing of it.

"You don't even get how upset I am, do you?" Phil asked, sounding like a wounded animal.

"Of course I know how upset you are."

"Bull…baloney!" Phil spat. "All these years, raising Haley as if she was my own, all of that and I might not even be her father. What even is that? What is that?" He looked like he would start crying again, but he tensed up. He scowled and slammed the wall with his fist. Claire dragged his arm away, and Phil didn't shake her off this time.

* * *

"_I've never seen Phil get violent," Claire reflects. "Not with anything. Him punching that wall…I felt like I was the one he wanted to punch." Claire bites her lip and squeezes her eyes shut. A small tear trickles down her face. "God, what the fuck did I do?"_

* * *

"Phil, you've got to calm down. The kids are going to come in here and start asking questions, and do you really want them to hear about it like this?"

"How about the way you let me hear about it?" Phil hollered, wrenching his arm away and storming out into the hall. Claire rushed after him, and Phil suddenly turned and stared down at her menacingly. She cowered and took a few steps back.

"Phil, you have to listen to me," Claire hissed. "Even if you aren't Haley's father, you've raised her so well. That girl sleeping in that room down the hall loves you fiercely and you love her just as much. Isn't that all that matters?"

"You think that's the only thing I'm upset about?" Phil yelled. There was more stirring in both of the children's bedrooms now. "You were cheating on me, Claire! Was I not enough for you? Do you realize I can't even assume you actually love me? Who the…who the hell is he?"

They heard the floorboards creaking from Luke's room. They turned toward the door and stood tense as boards. The door opened, and a groggy Luke stepped out, rubbing his eyes.

"Are you two fighting?" Luke asked.

"Luke, you're not going to believe this," Phil started, but Claire yanked his arm.

"Phil, you're not going to tell him like this!"

"Tell me what?" Luke asked, suddenly alert and trembling. "Tell me what, Dad?"

"Dad, ha!" Phil spat, chuckling madly. "Might want to start calling me Phil, buddy. Who the hell knows if I'm actually your father?"

"Dad, no, Mom," Luke stammered, staring at Claire. "What the hell is he talking about?"

"I might not be Haley's father!" Phil shouted, almost in a singsong voice. He chuckled madly again.

"Phil, oh my God, what are you doing?" Claire groaned, putting a hand on her forehead.

"Jesus Christ," Luke said. "You've got to be kidding me! That's fucked up."

"Luke, watch your language and keep your voice down!" Claire hissed. "Do you really want to wake your sister and let her find out like this?"

"Might as well get it out in the open!" Phil shouted. "Haley! Alex! Get up! Your mother's got a surprise for you!"

They heard stirring from the girls' bedroom, and what sounded like Alex muttering.

"God damn it, Phil, do you want to start a scene?"

"You started the scene twenty years ago!" Phil barked, pointing a finger at Claire and balling his hand in a fist again. "A whole big scene, like this was some kind of sick twisted daytime drama! The man finds out the child's not really his, it actually belongs to…Claire, damn you, who the _frig_ else could it be?"

"Am I hearing what I think I'm hearing?" a timid voice asked. Claire, Phil, and Luke turned to see Haley standing in the doorframe to her room, eyes wide and looking exhausted. Alex was behind her, looking just as dumbstruck.

"Yes, you heard right," Phil said. "_You might not be Daddy's little girl!_"

"Oh, for Christ's sake, Phil!" Claire shouted. "This is hard enough as it is. Are you really going to make this worse?"

"Dad, oh my God, Dad," Haley muttered, clutching her head on both sides. "Did you really just say I might not be your daughter?" Her voice cracked, and she and Claire both looked ready to cry.

"Jesus, I can't…I can't do this!" Phil said, storming back into the bedroom. Claire made to go after him, but Luke grabbed her arm and turned her towards Haley. Tears were freely streaming down her face.

"Haley, honey," Claire said, going to try to comfort her daughter. She leaned back and slapped her mother in the face.

"Haley, Jesus!" Alex cursed, grabbing Haley's arm before she could slap Claire again.

"Mom, what the fuck is he talking about?" Haley shouted, starting to cry again. "Mom, what the…" She sunk to the floor sobbing. Alex started rubbing her shoulders in an attempt to calm her down. Claire crouched down to Haley's eye level.

"Honey, I…well, I guess I can't hide it anymore. We're not…I'm not completely sure Phil is your father."

"You were cheating on Dad when I was…?" she asked timidly. Claire bit her lip and nodded. "Whore!" Haley shrieked, lunging at her mother. Alex quickly grabbed her and brought her gently to the ground. Haley sobbed loudly and buried her face in her hands.

Claire heard the sound of something heavy moving in the bedroom. She turned towards it, then back at Haley, then towards the bedroom again. She made her way to the bedroom.

"Slut!" Haley cried before sobbing even harder.

Claire opened the bedroom door to find Phil manically packing clothes in his luggage. Luke was behind his mother, peering over her shoulder.

"Phil, where the hell do you think you're going?" Claire asked.

"Anywhere, Claire. Anywhere but here. A motel, hotel, inn, _something_! I can't be here right now, I just have…this ball of rage…I can't even, I can't." Phil then started packing again in full force.

"Dad, I don't want you to go," Luke pleaded softly.

"Sorry, Luke," Phil said. "Wish I could help you understand what the chimichanga is going on around here."

"Take me with you!" Luke cried. Claire turned and scowled at him.

"You're not going anywhere," Claire said menacingly.

"Dad's right. I can't stay here, either. This is so…this is so fucked."

"Language!"

"Luke, better pack light!" Phil advised him. "We're taking the sports car."

"Phil, no, you can't take Luke with you. I understand if you want to go, but I don't want to lose my son, too…"

"Maybe you should have thought of that before you started sleeping around, Mom," Luke remarked.

"Luke, that was twenty years ago," Claire reminded him. "I had no idea it would come to this."

"I didn't either," Phil shouted, "but here we are! Isn't it great, isn't it just great how your whole life can crash before your very eyes in one night?"

"Phil, please don't…" Claire said. They could still hear Haley sobbing in the hall and Alex trying to comfort her. Claire let a few tears fall down her face, too.

Phil zipped up his luggage and lifted it. He barreled toward Claire.

"Excuse me, please!" he barked. Luke dragged Claire out of the way, and Phil hustled past with his two trunks. He stumbled down the stairs and tripped on the broken one, losing his balance and falling down the rest of the stairway.

"Phil!" Claire shouted, hurrying down the stairs, taking care to step over the broken one. "Are you okay?"

"What is okay?" Phil groaned. "When it can be taken away in an instant, what is okay? Is it just a lie we hold on to every day until the truth finally catches up with us?"

"Christ, Phil, at least let me help you up."

"Nope! I got it!" Phil declared, using his luggage as support as he brought himself back to his feet. Claire stepped away from him, rubbing the cheek where Haley had slapped her. "You coming, Luke!" Phil shouted up the stairs.

"Give me a minute!" Luke shouted back down.

"Okay, whatever, you can take Luke," Claire said. "Just make sure you stay safe."

"I don't need your permission, Claire!" Phil spat. "I'm not your fourth child you can just order around! And you are the biggest hypocrite, by the way. 'Don't be sniffing the secretary!' 'Eyes off that woman jogging down the street.' 'Quit staring at Gloria's chest.'"

"Phil, that's just sick, she's your mother-in-law."

"Stepmother-in-law, but that's not the first thing that's screwed up about this family, is it?"

"Phil, don't you think this was hard on me, too?" Claire shouted, trying to hold back tears. "I was with you and him and I couldn't know who the father was. I had to choose who I thought would be the better father to my child and I chose you, Phil! I chose you! And now you're walking out on me?"

"You want to know why I'm walking out this door?" Phil asked. "Because you didn't tell me twenty years ago that this might have happened. You never gave me a chance to take care of this then, and you waited twenty freaking years to finally bring this out in the open! I spent twenty years with the wool over my eyes. That's almost half my life, Claire! Did you really think you could just keep on this charade and that I would never find out?"

"That's why I told you just now!" Claire said desperately. "That's why I just had to clear my conscience and get the truth out there. I thought maybe with twenty years of marriage our relationship would be strong enough to get through this."

"Are you kidding me right now? You thought if you waited long enough, we'd love each other enough to get through this? That's just gross."

"I know, I know! I made a mistake!" Claire walked towards Phil, but he moved one of his trunks in front of his body. "Do you think if I had to do it over again that I would've made a mess of things like this? Don't you think that I have regrets, that I might be just as hurt about my own choices as you are now?"

"You seemed to live with it for twenty years just fine," Phil spat. "Claire, I can't do this right now. I'm not ready to talk about it. Everything you say just sounds like venom. I can't…Luke, are you ready yet!"

Luke's head peeked out from the hall. "Yeah, I think so."

"Watch the step on your way down!" Claire called. Luke rolled his eyes as he dragged his luggage downstairs.

"Do you really have to go, Luke?" Claire asked softly.

"I hope it hurt," Luke said. "I hope it hurt when my sister slapped you. Let's go, Dad."

"Sure, buddy," Phil said. He glared at Claire before turning and moving towards the door. He opened it and held it open with his back as he grabbed onto his luggage and beckoned Luke out the door. Luke dragged his own luggage out, and Phil walked away from the door as it shut behind him.

In the din that followed, Claire could hear that Haley had stopped crying. She couldn't hear Alex either.

* * *

"_I was totally stunned," Claire explains. "Blindsided. I just stood there in disbelief until I heard the garage door open and the car drive away. All of a sudden it became real to me that my marriage might be over…" Claire holds her head and cries. "I don't want it to be over," she mumbled._

* * *

"_I pinched myself and everything," Phil recalls, "and I still wasn't sure if I was dreaming. As I drove down the road with Luke, I kept wondering if I would wake up and be asleep next to my wife, married to the father of __**all**__ my children._

* * *

"_I was really pissed at Mom," Luke says bitterly. "I'm still pissed. I can't even imagine what Haley and Alex are doing there with that…with Mom." He shakes his head and sighs._

* * *

Claire finally moved back up the stairs, tripping on the broken step on her way up. She sighed and made it to the hall before she realized she heard fighting in her daughters' bedroom. She crept to the door and listened.

"So you're just going to run over to some guy you barely know and hope he has the magic words to make you feel better?" came Alex's voice. "Don't you think that's taking advantage of him a little bit?"

"Do you expect me to stay here with that bitch?" Haley asked. The word hit Claire like a punch to the gut. She rubbed her cheek again.

"She's still our mother. She's still the one who's taking care of you, of all of us. You can't just walk out on her or on me."

"You make it sound like I'm going away forever," Haley remarked. "I just need to stay the night over somewhere else and get some sleep so I can clear my head and maybe calm down a bit."

"Get some sleep? You'd better not be sleeping _with_ anyone, especially not Andy!"

"Oh my God, gross. I'm not that much of a slut, unlike you-know-what." Another punch to the gut.

"You can't just take advantage of him like that!" Alex shouted. "He's not just some pillow you can cuddle to help you sleep at night. You haven't even been on your first date yet."

"Well, things changed," Haley stated. "Until tonight, I didn't expect Mom to drop a bombshell like this! You honestly think I want to be here after that?"

"You had your chance to leave with Dad and Luke. Why didn't you just go with them?"

"Because I couldn't even think, and by the time I thought of it, they were gone. So you can't really blame me for falling back on Plan B."

"Andy's not just your Plan B!" Alex protested. "Andy is nothing to you right now. You want him to cuddle with you, tell you everything's going to be okay, when he doesn't know a thing about us or what's going on? What makes you think he's just going to let you in and let you cry on his shoulder?"

"Alex, give me some credit," Haley said. "I think I know how boys think."

"Haley, wait!" Alex cried. Claire backed away from the door as Haley opened it. She had a backpack on her back, carrying nowhere near the luggage Phil and Luke had just walked out with.

"Haley..." Claire said.

"Don't, Mom. I'm leaving. I'll see you later." Haley stormed past her mother and down the stairs.

"Watch the step!" Claire called, but Haley stumbled as she stormed down the stairs and out the door.

Claire put her hand on her mouth and started choking on her tears. Alex came out of her room and put a hand on her mother's shoulder. She moved in front of her and gave her a hug, which Claire accepted with a wave of relief.

* * *

"_Well, my sister had just slapped her and my brother had just walked out on her," Alex explains, "so I figured Mom needed at least one of her children to help her get through this. What she did was totally indefensible and unjustifiable, but it was like everyone else in my family was totally blind to her pain. She was hurting, so what was I supposed to do?" Alex sighs and stares at the pillow on the couch. "What was I supposed to do?" she mutters._

* * *

"_It's really hard for me to talk about this, okay?" Haley sputters. Her eyes are red, as if she hadn't slept well at all before the interview. "Dad maybe isn't my dad…what am I supposed to think? Am I upset at slapping Mom? Of course I am. Do I feel guilty calling her a whore and a slut? No question. But my world was turned totally upside-down, and I needed someone to talk to, and I couldn't think of anyone else. So I took Mom's car and headed over to Andy's." She looks at me give her a skeptical look and she giggles nervously. "I mean, duh, I texted him first to let him know I was coming. I'm not rude. And he was totally fine with it, so I'm not sad that I did that."_

* * *

"_Ok to come over?_" read the text that Haley sent to Andy. She had driven out of sight of the house, but hadn't gone far in case Andy refused her simple message masking a cry for help. It didn't take long at all for him to respond.

"_Ok_," his message read, and Haley sped off to get to his place as fast as possible.

Andy lived alone in an apartment complex near the freeway, so it was relatively easy to find by following the signs. It was maybe about ten minutes before she arrived at his place. She went up to the door and glanced over the pager buttons on the side of the entranceway. Haley ran her finger over a few potential candidates for Andy's unit, but shook her head and pulled out her phone.

"_Let me in?_" she asked, and a short while later she heard the front door unlock. She quickly went inside and then got another text message.

"_409_," was all it said, but it was all she needed to know. She went to the elevator and hit the up button. After waiting for a little while, she sighed and went up the stairs instead. Three flights later, she was in the hallway looking for 409. She quickly found it around the corner and knocked on the door. Andy was just inside and ready to open it for her.

"I gotta say, I'm a little surprised that—" Andy's greeting was interrupted by a tight hug, the little girl now in his embrace almost ready to burst in tears. Instinctively, he stroked her hair and hushed her until she felt better. She pulled out of the hug when she noticed something move against her waist, and she laughed a little out of embarrassment.

"Oh, geez," Andy said. "Sorry to make you blush."

"I take it as a compliment," Haley said with a wink. She then looked downcast, staring at the floor. "But that's not why I'm here."

Andy wrapped an arm around her and led her to the couch. He sat her down and then took the seat next to her, looking at her intently and ready to listen to what was bothering her.

Haley told him everything, about how Claire had been hiding the dark secret for twenty years that Phil might not be her father. Andy nodded where it was appropriate, gasped at the horrific retelling of the chaotic moment when Phil found out, and cringed when he heard that Haley had slapped her mother.

"Haley," he said warningly when she told him about that.

Haley held up a hand in protest. "Nope, I know what you're thinking. It was abusive and totally uncalled for. And it was, but how was I supposed to react? I was freaking out and I had to react somehow or I felt like I was going to explode."

"I get it, Haley," Andy said. "I've punched a wall more than a few times in my life. I just wish you'd hit a wall instead of your mother."

"I do, too," Haley said, "and I have to say sorry for that and the name-calling. But I can't go back there and face her again. She'll never let me hear the end of it."

Andy repositioned himself by sitting sideways on the couch, so his whole upper body was facing Haley. "I don't think she's in any position to be harassing you. She's the one in the wrong here. It wasn't your fault that she kept this secret. If anything, she should be apologizing to you for keeping the truth from you for so long."

"You know what really sucks about all this?" Haley asked. "This whole thing might not mean anything. Dad might be my real father, and this whole thing might not have happened. Andy," she said, sitting with her legs crossed on the couch and facing him, "do you think maybe we can go back to the way things were before all this? I mean, let's just call Dad my actual dad and call it a day, right?"

"I don't think it's that simple," Andy responded as he grimly shook his head. "You can't just ignore what's going on here."

Haley groaned. "I wish this was just a bad dream." She laid down with her head in Andy's lap, crossing her arms and staring at the ceiling. Andy stroked her hair instinctively again, and she smiled as she felt that same awkward feeling now pushing against her head.

"Damn it, I've got to stop doing that!" Andy cried.

Haley just giggled incessantly. "Relax. You're not the first guy that's gotten a total hard-on for me."

"I don't even want to think about that," Andy replied, grabbing a pillow on the side of the couch, lifting Haley's head up, and placing the pillow on his lap before letting her gently back down. "We haven't even had a first date yet."

"Does this weekend still work for you?" Haley asked. "I know we're just going to the mall, and that's going to seem super boring compared to…well, this. But I think maybe I want a normal date to take my mind off this whole thing.

"You've got it, sister," Andy said with a goofy grin, a grin that Haley would have cringed at a few months ago, but right now it made her belly flutter in a good way, and not in the way it had been fluttering all night.

* * *

"_I can't believe how not awkward it was," Haley recalls, looking far more relaxed. "It was like I could forget the whole thing was happening. But I knew I had to go back home sooner or later and make things cool with Mom. I mean, I always knew she was uptight and secretive about this kind of stuff, and she never told me what she was like as a kid. I thought she was just being a mom about it, but now that I get why she did that, I feel like I have to say sorry." She looks around the room, as if to ensure we were alone. "I definitely don't want to follow in her shoes. That makes a lot more sense now."_

* * *

"Hey, you know I don't like underage drinking, but do you want a glass of wine or something?" Andy asked. Haley sat up and grinned at him, putting him off a bit.

"You're not trying to get a girl drunk and into bed, are you?" Haley teased, grabbing the pillow and hitting him in the face with it.

Andy wrested the pillow from her and tossed it to the floor. "No. I'm just trying to help you relax."

"Well, duh," Haley jibed, rolling her eyes. "I know you're not that type of guy. And, well…you know, it's a good change for me."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm used to dating total morons and real jerks back in high school," Haley said. "Well, when I wasn't with Dylan, anyway, but he was pretty stupid, too. You're not like any of those guys, though. You seem to have your life figured out. You're smart and nice, and there's no way that Coast Guard girl ever deserved you."

"Wow, you sure you didn't have some alcohol before you got here?" Andy asked with a laugh. Haley giggled and smiled. "No, never mind. I'm just not used to hearing so many compliments from a girl, especially not one as pretty as you." He blushed and shook his head. "Oh, geez, here I go now!"

"It's fine, Andy, really," Haley said. She'd been waiting for him to go to the refrigerator, but she finally got up and headed there herself. He finally rose quickly and beat her over to the fridge, taking out a bottle of red wine. He rummaged through the drawers looking for the corkscrew. When he finally found it, he uncorked the wine, and a bit of vapor simmered near the top of the bottle.

"That looks great," Haley said. Andy nodded and went to one of the top cabinets, fetching a few plastic cups.

"Sorry. I usually have friends bring over some wine glasses if we're going to be drinking, but I didn't expect any company tonight."

Haley giggled. "That's fine. I've drunk out of worse."

"Had those red Solo cups at college?" he asked.

"Actually, the night I got arrested, they were blue, but whatever."

"You got arrested?" Andy asked in shock.

Haley suddenly covered her mouth, stomping her foot on the ground. "Yeah, well, when I said I came home to earn some money before going back…that wasn't completely true. I got drunk at a party and the school threw me out."

"That really bites. I'm sorry," Andy said. He then gave the wine bottle a skeptical look. "Well, you're with me, so I'll make sure the cops don't haul you away this time."

"Sounds good to me," Haley said. Andy poured her some wine until the cup was half full. She rolled her eyes and grabbed his hand, directing the wine bottle to pour more in her cup until it was about three-fourths full.

"Okay, then," Andy said. He poured himself a rather small amount, at least for Haley's standards, and put the cork back in the bottle before returning it to the fridge and leading Haley back over to the couch.

They sat down and took a sip from their cups, Haley's a bit more generous than Andy's. For a while they had nothing to say, giving them a chance to reflect on the night's events.

"My mom's going to kill me when she finds out where I went," she realized. "I mean, maybe not too bad, since it's you, but still."

"Wait, what's that supposed to mean?" Andy asked, looking offended.

"What? She just doesn't see you as well, you know…a dangerous boy for me."

"Oh ho! I'm not dangerous. Well, you tell her I dated someone in the military, and then see how she reacts."

"She's in the Coast Guard. That doesn't count."

"You stink," Andy muttered, and Haley laughed heartily. He chuckled a bit as well. "Nah, but seriously. Do you think you're going back home tonight, or do you need to crash here and cool off before you head back?"

"Definitely crash here," Haley said, taking another big sip.

* * *

"_Okay, so I wanted to get a little drunk and maybe fool around a bit," Haley admits. "You know, to get my mind off things. It always worked with Dylan…well, that and then some, but that's not the point." She clears her throat and continues. "I knew he was going to be a goody-two-shoes about it, so I figured that option is out. I was ready to settle for cuddling with him in bed, clothes on, with maybe a bit of hope he'd, you know, step out of his comfort zone. I mean, I didn't even know if this guy was a virgin or not. I had no idea what his ex was like." She tousled her hair and cleared her throat again. "Well, none of that happened, actually, which was probably a good thing. Like I said, didn't want to be like my mother, right?"_

* * *

"You want to crash in my bed for tonight?" Andy asked. Haley's stomach fluttered at the implication she thought she was sensing.

"Um…that sounds great, actually," she said, taking a big sip of wine.

"Then I'll take the couch," Andy decided. Haley deflated, her hopes somewhat dashed, but unwilling to give up.

"You know," she said, taking another sip, "I could use a big old teddy bear to hold me tight. Just a thought, throwing it out there. Take it or leave it."

"My bed's a twin size, so…not tonight. Sorry," Andy said.

Haley whined a bit and took another sip. Her wine was almost gone. "Okay, _fine_. Have it your way. Don't get used to turning down a girl like me, that is, if you want to keep her."

"Keep her?" Andy asked. "I didn't even think we were dating yet."

"This doesn't count as a date?" Haley asked. "Me pouring my heart out to you while we sip wine out of a plastic cup?" The two of them laughed, and Andy blushed a little.

"Okay, _maybe_ it was a bit of a date," he said. "But right now I'm tuckered out and I just want to sleep. You should, too. It'll help clear your head."

"You're right," Haley said with a sigh, finishing her wine and getting up to throw the cup in the sink. "Okay, hotshot," she said, "I'll see you in the morning."

"Sleep well, Haley," Andy said, already lying down on the couch and getting as comfortable as possible. Haley stood in the frame of his bedroom door and stared at him.

"Last chance, hotshot," she said.

"Goodnight," Andy replied.

Haley chuckled and shut the door quietly.

* * *

End of Chapter 05


	6. Please Come Home

**The Illegitimate Daughter**

by: cooopercrisp

Chapter 06: Please Come Home

* * *

Luke and Phil were sullen on their search for a motel. Now that the initial shock and anger in the house had cooled off, it was difficult to find anything to say.

"Is it possible you're not my dad?" Luke asked.

Phil sniffled, his eyes glued to the road.

"Just keep looking for a motel, buddy," he said.

Luke stared out the window at the buildings they drove past. This was an unfamiliar part of Cheviot Hills, but neither of them wanted to admit that they were lost.

"Can't you just look one up on that GPS thing?" Luke asked. Phil shook his head and actually let out a small smile.

"Always thinking on your feet, buddy," Phil said. "Take us to the nearest motel," he said to the GPS. It responded by providing them with directions to a motel about a mile from where they were.

"Hope this place is in decent shape," Phil mused as he took the next right.

For a while, it was just the sound of the GPS giving directions and the sound of the car humming. Luke groaned and turned to look at Phil.

"I can't believe this is happening right now," he said glumly.

"Never would have thought we'd be crashing at a motel for the night," Phil said.

"No, not that. This just doesn't make any sense. Mom was seeing you and some other jerk at the same time. She couldn't have gone on, like, birth control or something?"

Phil sighed.

* * *

"_Sex has always been a deeply uncomfortable subject for me to discuss with my kids," Phil explains, staring at the floor. "Luke especially. See, he had all these questions about how this could have happened, and I thought I knew exactly how to answer them. But after what Claire told me, I was just as clueless as he was."_

* * *

"Grandpa and Nana, they were…a bit old-fashioned," Phil explained to Luke. "Or, Jay was dead set against the idea, and DeDe might as well have been sticking her fingers in her ears whenever it came up in conversation. So Claire and I decided as long as we used condoms, we'd be okay."

"Guess it didn't help after all, though, huh?" Luke asked. Phil took a deep breath and took a left.

"Never thought I'd be telling you about this," Phil said, "but this is what I thought had happened. After that Duran Duran concert, we found out that the condom had a tear in it."

"How'd you find that out?"

"Luke…" Phil said, cringing. "It's just…let's not worry about how we knew, okay? We just knew. And this was about a week after the concert, so the, you know, morning after pill was out of the question. But if this is actually some other guy's kid, I have no idea how that could have happened."

"I see," Luke said, nodding and scratching his chin. "Do you think I could start growing a beard? I think I feel a little peach fuzz…"

* * *

"_Oh my God," Luke recounts, "I really wanted to change the subject. All this crap about morning after pills and condoms, it was really, really weird talking to Dad about it. And I could tell it was just making him upset, so I threw out the first thing I could think of." He squirms in his seat. "It didn't work."_

* * *

"Luke, buddy, I know this is really uncomfortable right now," Phil said, using a free hand to rub him on the shoulder. Luke looked sullenly out the window. "We just…we just have to get used to this. I mean…oh, who am I kidding? I'm just as lost as you are. I have no idea what to do." Phil's breath was picking up and he almost missed the right turn he needed to get on the street where the motel was, about a half mile ahead.

"Dad, don't freak out," Luke implored, "because if you start freaking out, then what the hell am I supposed to do?"

Phil took a solemn breath. "You're right. We just have to keep our cool for a while. I don't…I don't think it's a good idea to go back home in the morning, though. This is just…well you said it best, so I won't repeat it."

"Fucked?"

"Yeah, that," Phil said, shuddering. "We need to find a place we can be for a few weeks, not just one night. Got any ideas?"

"How about Grandpa's house?" Luke asked.

Phil shook his head in disbelief. "Buddy, that's great that you're thinking, but that's not really a good idea. Jay's going to be really ticked off at me for ditching Claire, and with Gloria there—"

Luke slapped him on the arm. "I meant your dad, Dad," he said.

"Oh," Phil said, slowly nodding his head. "Okay, that makes…that makes more sense. Yeah, I'll call him in the morning, see if we can't stay at his place."

They saw the motel on the right, so Phil turned into it and parked in an open spot. The lot was deserted, and the building was in need of a fresh coat of paint, as well as a few windows.

"This looks…" Phil said, dumbfounded.

"What?"

"Never mind, let's just go in. Can't be that bad for one night."

* * *

"_I'm telling you, we were the only ones at that place," Phil reflects. "I was afraid of faulty power, leaking roofs, drug deals happening outside our window. But I knew we were just checking in, sleeping a few hours, and then getting out as early as possible to start for my dad's. I just hoped we weren't mugged in our sleep or something."_

* * *

They entered the motel and saw nobody at the front desk. There was a rusted bell, however, so Phil rang it. They heard a croaking voice call out from behind a door marked "Employees Only."

"Take an empty room!" the voice hollered. "Leave a twenty on the desk!"

Phil looked at Luke in horror. "I don't have a twenty. I never carry cash anymore."

"That's okay, Dad. I've got it," Luke pulled out his wallet and extracted a twenty dollar bill, which he put on the desk.

"Okay, Luke, let's just…let's just find a room, okay?"

"Yeah, sure."

They took their luggage with them to the room nearest the exit marked 104. They knocked on the door and heard nothing. Phil carefully opened the door just a crack and peered inside. The room looked deserted.

"Okay, lucky shot on the first try. Go, go, get in." Phil and Luke hurried into the room and shut the door behind them.

"Does it lock?" Luke asked. Phil tried to move the deadbolt, but it seemed to be rusted shut on the door.

"Of course not," Phil said with a nervous laugh.

"You sure we can't find somewhere else to stay?" Luke asked.

"Good point. Let's get out of here." They left the room with their luggage and ran into a morbidly obese woman in her sixties taking the twenty from the desk.

"You're leaving already?" she asked. "Fucking typical."

"What do you mean?" Luke asked. Phil tried to get him to be quiet, but Luke ignored him.

"You think I'm some kind of charity case?" the woman asked. "You left your payment, you're staying in the room."

"We really appreciate the hospitality," Phil said, turning on his realtor charm. "We just found the conditions of the room…less than ideal."

"Oh, really?" the woman snapped. "The hell's wrong with it?"

"The door doesn't lock," Phil explained.

The old woman laughed, and it sounded as though she were actually wheezing. "Yeah, okay. Room 107 has a working lock, and I know it's vacant 'cause the hooligans staying there had to flee from the cops. Don't worry, they've already done their CSI crap in there, they gave me the all clear."

"Okay, thank you," Phil said, leading Luke down the hall.

"It might smell a little in there," the woman warned them. "I couldn't get the stink of pot completely out of the sheets."

"Thank you!" Phil called, shuffling Luke forward down the hall.

When they entered the room, the reek of marijuana was indeed the first thing they noticed. Phil started to feel dizzy, so they tried to open a window to let the stench out, only to discover it was stuck to the windowsill.

* * *

"_I can stand the smell of a little pot," Luke boasts, but quietly, so as not to be overheard. "I've tried it a few times in the back woods behind the high school. Manny tried it once, too, but he was whining the whole time about getting in trouble and what his mother would think. We decided he shouldn't come again, and Manny agreed. We just had to make sure he wouldn't rat us out."_

* * *

"_That smell is just repugnant," Manny complains. "Awful, awful odor. I'll never partake in recreational drugs ever again. But still…" he adds, eyes darting around nervously, "it did feel kind of good for a few minutes."_

* * *

"Let's just…let's just go to bed," Phil said, taking off his shoes and socks and lying in the bed closest to the door.

"We're sleeping in our clothes?" Luke asked.

"I want to fall asleep as fast as possible," Phil replied, face wrinkled with anguish. "If I even can sleep…"

"All right," Luke said, throwing off his shoes and socks and taking the other bed.

The two of them stared at the ceiling, which was covered in mold that formed strange shapes. Phil closed his eyes for a little while, taking deep breaths, but he shook his head and opened his eyes again.

"Was there something wrong with me?" he asked. Luke opened his eyes and stared at his dad.

"What did you say?" Luke asked, knowing full well what Phil had said.

Phil looked back at his son and sighed. "I was talking to myself, buddy," Phil said. "It would be wrong of me to ask something like that to you."

"Well, you're definitely not wrong for Mom," Luke replied, feeling an upset squirming in his stomach. "You've been married for like a hundred years."

Phil chuckled, but it was more of a dark chuckle than a happy one. He looked back up at the ceiling.

"You have a point, buddy. It's just..." He took another deep breath. "I've been married to her for twenty years, and all along I thought there were no secrets between us. I told her everything, and she told me what I thought was everything. But now that this has come out, I can't trust her anymore. What else is she lying about? What else is she hiding?"

"Don't talk like that," Luke said, looking sternly at his father. "You know she loves you, right?"

"No."

"Dad, come on. She's all about you, me, and my sisters. You can't argue against that."

"She could have been overcompensating," Phil said, but then he groaned. "No, no. Totally inappropriate. You're fifteen years old. You're my kid. You're not supposed to be my crutch."

"Don't be stupid," Luke said, resisting the urge to get up and pat his father on the head. "You know, kids at school say I'm very mature for my age."

"Do they?"

"Um…no," Luke said. "I was kind of bluffing."

Phil chuckled more warmly this time. "Maybe I should call my own dad."

"Yeah, good idea," Luke said.

Phil took out his smartphone and almost dialed his father, but he put his phone back in his pocket.

* * *

"_I was going to call him," Phil says despondently. "But then again, Claire showed me I'm not that close to my dad anyway. I hate to admit it, but she's right about that. And with mom gone…who else was I going to talk to? I was an only child, so no brothers or sisters to help me out. I couldn't tell anyone in Claire's family._

* * *

"What gives?" Luke asked. "Not calling Grandpa?"

"I don't think you would get it," Phil said. "Me and him…I mean, we joke around and he helps me with projects around the house, but I've never really had a deeper connection with him. I still don't know what happened between him and Grandma before she died. But I don't think you would understand that."

* * *

"_I do understand that," Luke says. "Sounded exactly like me and him. But I couldn't say that, so I kind of just laid there."_

* * *

"We are going to see him, right?" Luke asked. "Maybe it'll be different in person."

"Sure, maybe," Phil mused. "Let's just try to get some shut-eye."

"Okay."

Luke and Phil stared at the ceiling again, quickly glancing at each other from time to time before looking away again. They closed their eyes and tried to sleep.

* * *

"_Alex and I were texting her non-stop," Claire says in a rush. "I think she turned off her phone. But I don't know where the hell she went. I mean, I know she likes this Andy guy, but that didn't mean she was telling the truth about going to see him."_

* * *

Claire was about to send her sixth text when Alex put a hand on her shoulder.

"Forget it," she said. "She's not going to answer us. When has she ever returned a text when she was with Dylan, or any other one of her boy toys?"

Claire coughed a bit and put a hand on her forehead. "I just want to know my baby is safe."

"I'm just as worried as you are," Alex said. "Let me try again." Her thumbs typed frantically and she hit send immediately.

"_Where the hekk are yiou?_" it read.

"Oh my God," Alex said. "I just sent a misspelled text."

"You're really worried about her," Claire said. "So am I." She paced around the room and suddenly thought of something.

"We can drive and search for her," she said. "You know where Andy lives, right?"

"Actually," Alex said hesitantly, "that's never really come up in conversation."

"Are you serious?" Claire asked, then she raised her voice. "Are you kidding me right now?"

"Mom, I'm sorry!" Alex cried, cringing at the sound of her mother's harsh voice.

"Well, my dad should know. Andy's been working for him taking care of Joe." Claire quickly dialed the phone.

"Claire, it's one in the morning. What's wrong?" Jay asked.

"I told Phil," Claire said.

"You did what?" he asked.

"Jay, what is the trouble?" Gloria asked. Claire could faintly hear her in the background.

"Gloria, I can handle it," Jay said. "It's more of a father-daughter thing. You wouldn't understand."

"_Mierda_ I wouldn't understand!" Gloria shouted. "Tell me what's wrong, Jay."

"Claire, I'm sorry. Hold on." Jay covered the end of the phone and stared down Gloria.

"Gloria, listen to me," he said with a scowl. "There are some things I would like to keep private with my family."

"I am your family, too!" she objected.

"No, I mean it. This is a very delicate situation, and Claire and I are the only ones who know about it."

* * *

"_I then remembered Claire had just said Phil knows about it, too," Jay says, "but the fewer people I let on to Gloria about, the more likely she would leave me alone. Boy, though, she can be stubborn."_

* * *

"Jay, I want to help!" Gloria cried. "I love Claire, and I want to be there for her just as much as you do."

"Gloria, I know you mean well, but I'm her father. No one on this planet can be there for her like I can."

"Dad? What the hell's going on?" Claire's voice came through the muffled phone.

"One second," Jay said. Claire groaned, but Jay had to ignore it. "Gloria, please. I wasn't there for Claire when she was growing up. Give me a chance to make up for it now."

Gloria's mouth flapped, but she couldn't find an adequate response. Jay left the bedroom and went downstairs.

"I'm sorry, Claire," he said. "The wife just wants to help."

"I know, I get it," Claire said. "Look, I told Phil what happened and he told all the kids and Luke and Phil packed up and left and I have no idea where the hell Haley is and Alex is here with me trying to be strong but—"

"Slow your roll, Claire," Jay interceded. "So the kids know, and two of them and Phil left. I'm not worried about Phil and Luke. He's not going to let anything happen to that kid. What we need to focus on is Haley. Have you tried to get her on the phone?"

"What do you think, Dad?" Claire shouted, but then she took a stiff breath and lowered her voice. "Alex and I texted her like a million times and she hasn't answered."

"Okay, that doesn't surprise me," Jay said. "I just had to rule that out. Did she say anything about where she was going?"

"That's why I'm calling," Claire said. "I think she ran off to Andy's place and I don't know where he lives. I was hoping you could tell me."

"Shit, Claire, I have no idea where the hell he lives. Gloria keeps track of that…Gloria!" he called to the bedroom, making his way back up.

"What is it, Jay?" she said with a biting tone as he entered the room.

"I need your help with something. We need to know—"

"Oh, _now_ you need my help?" Gloria asked viciously. "Well, why in the hell should I help you now?"

"Damn it, Gloria," Jay shouted, but then he took a breath. "Okay, Haley's missing and we think she's with Andy. Do you know where he lives?"

"Yes, I do. Three-three-two-four Castle Heights Ave."

"Did you get that, Claire?" Jay asked. "He's at Waterstone. You know how to get there, right?"

"Alex can get directions with her phone," Claire said. "Wait, what's his apartment number?"

"Apartment number, Gloria?" Jay asked.

"_Aye aye aye_, I don't know," Gloria cried, putting a hand on her forehead.

"Four-oh-nine," Manny said, suddenly entering the room.

"How long have you been standing there?" Jay asked.

"Well, I heard you and Gloria arguing," Manny started. "What was that all about?"

"Never mind that now," Jay said. "You sure it's four-oh-nine?"

"Absolutely. He told me in a rather interesting conversation about the woman next door in four-oh-seven, and assuming the rooms are organized by the odd-even standard, deductive reasoning concludes that—"

"Wait," Jay said. "So you don't _know_ it's four-oh-nine?"

"It is four-oh-nine," Gloria said. "He told me four-oh-five's been empty for months."

"You two better be right," Jay grumbled. "Claire, got that? Four-oh-nine."

"Got it. Thank you so much, Dad."

"Any time," Jay said before hanging up.

"Jay, what's going on?" Manny asked. "Do we need to confront Andy in his apartment? As far as I know, he's been wonderful to Joe."

"We think Haley's over there," Jay said, "and she's not returning Claire's texts or phone calls."

Manny raised an eyebrow. "Why would Haley be over there?"

"Manny, it's not important," Gloria said. "Jay, we have to help Claire find Haley. Your _nieta_ needs help, and we don't actually know she's over there. We must do the search and rescue. We have to—"

"Search and rescue? Does that mean Haley's…?" Manny started taking quick, heaving breaths.

"Gloria, hold on. Manny, breathe," Jay said. "If Claire needs our help, she'll let us know and we'll help her. But it's a delicate situation right now, and we need to let Haley's mother find her daughter."

"Isn't Phil going to help?" Manny asked.

"Yeah, he's looking, too," Jay said stiffly.

"Okay, that's good," Manny said. "I think I can breathe again."

"Perfect. Now, we should be awake in case Haley calls one of us, so let's get ourselves some coffee so we don't pass out."

"Tea for me, please," Manny requested.

"Sure, whatever," Jay said. "Let's just go."

* * *

"_I was worried about Haley's well-being," Manny says, and behind his look of concern, I noticed a sparkle in his eye. "She means a lot to me, and I didn't want to lose her. No one could ever replace her…" He then looks at me, horrified. "Don't tell anyone I said that!" he pleads._

"_I'm just an observer," I remind him._

"_Oh, right," Manny says, taking a deep breath. "That's a relief."_

* * *

"_It was killing me, not knowing where my granddaughter was," Jay said, "and I would have been the first one out looking for her…well, second to Claire, of course. But if she was running away from home, she might have gone here. And besides, we knew Andy wouldn't be a danger to her in the slightest, if that was where she was going. Then I realized there was something simple we could do to make sure Haley was all right."_

* * *

"We should call Andy," Jay said.

"Brilliant!" Manny said.

Gloria was already searching through her contacts for him. He wasn't hard to find at the top of the list, and her hands shook as she called him.

The phone rang for what seemed like forever, and then finally Andy picked up.

"Gloria?" he asked groggily.

"Andy! You picked up! Where's Haley?"

"She's fine," Andy said. Haley got out of Andy's room when she heard him talking on the phone. She shook her head frantically, but Andy signaled for her to wait. "She's with me."

"Don't say that!" Haley whispered harshly. "They're going to come after me."

"Are you at your apartment?" Gloria asked. She was bouncing up and down nervously.

"Yes," Andy replied.

"Yes what?" Haley hissed. "What did you say yes to?"

"Claire is on her way to take her home," Gloria said. "We're all worried about her."

"I understand that, Gloria, but she doesn't want to come home right now."

"Oh my God," Haley groaned, going to the couch and sprawling out on it.

"That's _loco_. Haley has to be home safe," Gloria said. "I don't know what happened or why she's with you, but her family is worried about her and want to make sure she's okay."

"I can assure you she's safe with me," Andy said. Haley started rubbing her temple.

"Andy, this is very important!" Gloria said. "Why is she even over there?"

"I can't tell you that," Andy said with a grimace. He gave Haley an anxious look.

"Hang up!" she pleaded.

"No, you must tell us what happened," Gloria implored him. "Was she out doing the drinking? Is she on the run from the law?"

"Gloria, what the hell is he talking about?" Jay asked, but Gloria shook her head.

"No, no, it's nothing like that," Andy said. "She's just…she and her mom got into a fight and they need time to cool off."

"A fight about what?" Gloria asked.

"There's been a fight?" Manny asked.

"Look, I can't really say what it is," Andy said.

"Tell her you don't know," Haley hissed.

"I don't even know what it's about. She didn't tell me," Andy said, wincing and grinding his teeth.

"Can we talk to her?" Gloria asked, with Jay and Manny nodding earnestly.

"She doesn't want to come to the phone right now," Andy said.

Haley shook her head and grabbed the phone from him.

"Gloria, I'm okay," Haley said.

"Haley, _aye aye aye_, what are you doing? Why have you gotten into the argument with your mother?"

"Gloria," Jay said, beckoning for her to give him the phone. "I think I can handle this."

"Uh…here's Grandpa," Gloria said, handing the phone to Jay.

"Haley," Jay said curtly, "first of all, you can cut the crap with me. I know what happened between you and Claire."

"You mean you know…?"

"Yes, I know. Now look. I understand that this would make you upset, but your mother is worried sick about you and she just wants you home safely."

"But I'm with Andy," Haley said. "He's totally harmless. I'm safe with him."

Andy beamed, and Haley gave him a nervous smile.

"Well, you don't have to convince me," Jay said. "Your mother is on her way, and you really have to talk to her."

"Absolutely not," Haley said. "There's no way I can trust her with anything now."

"Haley," Jay said with a grimace, "she's still your mother and she still loves you. She only wants what's best for you, and you'd be better off at home. You have to work through..." he hesitated, seeing Gloria and Manny waiting with bated breath, "this thing with your mother, and you can't do that without being face to face."

"Grandpa, I don't need this tonight," Haley said. "I have to take some time away from home to calm down so I don't freak out at my mom and make things worse."

"Haley, that's…" Jay paused for thought. He took a deep breath. "That's very thoughtful of you. I just don't think your mother's going to see it that way."

Suddenly Jay's phone rang. He looked at Gloria and pointed at the phone. She nodded and answered it.

"Dad, I've got a problem," Claire said.

"Not your _papa_, Claire," Gloria said. "He's talking to Haley."

"What? Tell him to make her come down from there and talk to me!"

"Why don't you go up there?" Gloria asked.

"The door's locked. I can't get in."

* * *

"_I couldn't believe I didn't realize that before I left," Claire says. "Here Alex and I were, stranded down on the bottom of the apartment, with my daughter four floors up and totally out of reach. I mean, what were we going to do, wait for someone to open the door?"_

* * *

"I'll buzz Andy," Alex said, pressing the button for 409.

"Who the hell is that?" Haley asked.

"Hold on," Andy said, pressing the button to call out.

"Who is it?" he asked.

"Andy, it's just me, Alex. I know Haley's up there. You have to let me in so I can talk to her."

"Who did you drive with?" he asked.

* * *

"_He called my bluff," Alex recalls. "I was hoping if Haley thought it was just me, then she would have told Andy to let us in, and Mom could've had a chance to bring her home."_

* * *

"Andy, listen to me," Claire said, muscling past Alex to the pager on the wall. "I know you're just trying to help my daughter, but she needs to come home so we can work through this."

"All due respect, Mrs. D," Andy replied, "but it's really late. Wouldn't it be better for her to sleep over here and cool off? She can come home in the morning."

Haley sighed. "Hold on, Grandpa," she said as she went over to the pager in Andy's apartment. "Mom, it's me."

"Haley, thank God, are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Mom, and I think Andy's right. It would be better for me to come home in the morning so we can talk this out. I'm exhausted, and I need some rest, and a lot of shit happened at home that I just need a break from."

"Haley, that's…that's okay. Why don't you come home tomorrow say at like three the latest. It'll give you a chance to sleep in."

"Thank you, Mom, that's all I wanted," Haley said, breathing a sigh of relief. "I'm glad we can finally agree on something."

"Well, I still love you very much," Claire said, "and that's something I have never lied about. You have a good night's rest, sweetie, and I'll see you tomorrow afternoon."

"Bye, Haley!" Alex called as she and Claire walked away from the apartment.

"Thanks, Gloria," Claire said. "We came to a compromise. I feel better now."

"_Muy bien_, Claire, that's wonderful news. Get some good sleep tonight, okay?"

"I will. Thanks for the help, Gloria."

"You're welcome. Any time." Gloria hung up the phone.

"Haley, I'm proud of you," Jay said over the phone to her. "You and your mother will get through this. And if you need anything, and I mean _anything_, you can always talk to your grandpa."

"Thank you so much," Haley said. "I've got to go. Bye."

"Take care," Jay said before hanging up.

Jay, Gloria, and Manny breathed a collective sigh of relief.

"So what is going on?" Manny asked. "Obviously it's serious, given Jay's tone, but no one's willing to talk about it."

"Yes, Jay, what is this problem really about?" Gloria asked.

"I've been sworn to secrecy," Jay said, holding his hands in front of him. "I'm not allowed to talk about it until Claire and Haley are ready."

"So we'll find out eventually?" Manny asked, crossing his arms and giving Jay a skeptical look. Gloria glared at him as well.

Jay balked and smiled nervously. "I can't make any promises, but when Claire and Haley are ready to discuss it, I'll be the first to tell you what's going on. Is that enough for now?"

Gloria and Manny continued to glare at him, but Manny unfolded his arms and relaxed his gaze.

"I suppose that's tolerable for now," he said. "Mom, think we can let this one go for now?"

Gloria looked at Manny but then sighed. "Fine. You know I don't like this secret-keeping, but I can't make you say anything you're not ready to talk about yet."

"There we go," Jay said. "Now, let's get some shut-eye and get a fresh start in the morning. I don't know about you, but I'm dog tired."

"Agreed," Manny said, letting out a big yawn. "Have a good night, Mom, Jay."

"Sleep tight," Gloria said, waving to her son as he dragged himself back upstairs and into his room. Gloria looked at Jay with concern.

"I can understand you don't want to talk to Manny," she said. "He's only a little boy. But why can't you tell your wife?"

"This is strictly a Pritchett thing," Jay said. "I've already explained this."

"Fine," Gloria said, pouting. "Let's just go get the sixty winks."

"It's forty," Jay corrected her.

"I'm too tired to care," she replied, leading the way up the stairs and into their bedroom, where they both laid down and fell into an uneasy sleep.

* * *

"_How was I supposed to sleep with all this hell going on?" Jay asks. "My daughter's family was falling apart, and we barely stitched together a part of it that night. And I want to step in and help her make things right, but Phil and I have never been real buddy-buddy, and he was the key to bringing their family back together. I just had to wait until the morning to see what was going to come. Take it one day at a time, you know?"_

* * *

Claire and Alex were brooding on their drive back to their house.

"I just don't believe it," Claire said. "How could this all happen in one night?"

"I don't know, Mom," Alex griped. She buried her head in her hands and groaned loudly. "This is insane."

"I know it is," Claire said. "I'm just glad at least you're still talking to me."

"Well," Alex said, "I've always felt like you and I have had the stronger of my two parental bonds."

"I know you and Phil aren't that close," Claire said, "and this must make things even more confusing. But we just need to," she choked up, "we just need to hold it together and work this out."

"Oh, please, Mom," Alex said in desperation. "You're just as lost as the rest of us."

Claire let a tear trickle down her cheek. "You're wrong about that, Alex. I'm the most lost."

* * *

"_Of course it was selfish of me to say that," Claire says. "Phil and Haley had never seen this coming, they were more lost than I was. I just felt like I was in such chaos that I had to vent to someone, and I just hoped my daughter would understand what I meant when I said that. Well…" she hesitates, biting her lip, "that's if I even understood what I meant."_

* * *

End of Chapter 06


End file.
